The Los Angeles Rams are heading into Week 18 in a strong position. They have clinched the NFC West and will host a playoff game during Wild Card Weekend, and their result against the Seattle Seahawks in the final week of the season will only potentially impact their first-round matchup.
Currently, the Rams hold the No. 3 seed in the NFC. If the postseason started today, they would be facing the No. 6 Washington Commanders in the first round. If they defeat or tie the Seahawks on Sunday, they stay in the No. 3 spot. If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lose or tie to the New Orleans Saints, the same is true.
The only way they fall to the No. 4 seed is if they lose and the Buccaneers win. And in that case, they would face the loser of the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings’ Week 18 battle for the No. 1 seed in the NFC.
The Rams appear confident in their abilities to beat the Seahawks, or are comfortable with being the No. 4 seed, as they are choosing to rest Matthew Stafford and start Jimmy Garoppolo in the final game of the regular season.
“What I can tell you guys is Jimmy Garoppolo will start at quarterback this week. That’ll give Matthew [Stafford] a chance to be able to get some rest. Other than that, that’s kind of really all that I have as it relates to just the approach this week,” head coach Sean McVay said.
The Rams went out and got Garoppolo in the offseason because they wanted the ability to still be competitive in games when Stafford was out, and this is the perfect opportunity to show that. L.A. wants to stay at the No. 3 seed and wants Stafford to have a bye week, so if Garoppolo does what the Rams signed him to do, they should be able to make both of those things happen.
And if the Rams lose and ultimately end up as the No. 4 seed, they’ll still have a rested Stafford and a home postseason game against a team that just went all out in trying to win their Week 18 game.
Rams’ Akhello Witherspoon discussed game-winning INT
The Rams concluded the NFL Week 17 triple-header on Saturday night with a hard-fought 13-9 win over the Arizona Cardinals.
The Rams took a 10-0 lead into halftime but saw it diminish when Kyler Murray led the Cardinals to a touchdown on their second drive in the second half. The Cardinals and Rams then traded field goals in the fourth quarter, setting up for an exciting finish to the divisional matchup.
With the Rams clinging on to a four-point lead, Murray was driving the Cardinals down the field for a potential game-winning touchdown.
Arizona had the ball on the Rams’ five-yard lineup with 42 seconds left when Murray’s pass to Trey McBride was deflected up in the air and intercepted by Ahkello Witherspoon.
The eight-year veteran discussed his clutch play and said he tried to get the ball at all costs.
