The Los Angeles Rams are heading back to the playoffs after defeating the New York Giants and getting an assist from the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 17.
While the Rams took care of business against the Giants, they needed some outside help in order to clinch a playoff berth. The easiest path was for the Steelers to defeat the Seattle Seahawks, which they did by a final score of 30-23 to keep their own playoff hopes alive.
“We held the takeoff a little bit so the WiFi couldn’t get us,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said after the Rams’ 26-25 win over the Giants.
“We watched the end of the game. What a great job by Pittsburgh and a really impressive win by them. We’ll have to send (Steelers HC) Mike (Tomlin) T a nice Christmas gift.”
The Steelers’ upset over the Seahawks helped the Rams get back to the playoffs for the fifth time in seven seasons under McVay.
L.A. will finish out their regular season schedule against the San Francisco 49ers next week, who already clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff picture.
The Rams currently hold the No. 6 seed but could potentially drop to seventh depending on the results of some other games across the league.
Rams’ Sean McVay paying attention to postseason picture
Prior to the Rams getting back to the playoffs, McVay admitted he was closely monitoring the rest of the league’s outlook for the postseason. “I pay a lot of attention to it,” McVay said.
“I tell myself not to get emotionally invested in these games and then you get invested and then you’re saying, ‘Why the hell did I do that?’ So here’s what I’ll tell you though, what I do know is true is that we’ve got to continue to focus on what we can control and that’s the Giants.
“I’m very aware of all the things that are going on, but I do think it’s important to not let that take away from the task at hand because you can get caught up with other stuff and playing the ‘what if’ game.
“What I think the best thing this team has done is they have focused on what they can control to put themselves in a position to even have the conversations that we’re having right now about playing meaningful ball in December and up into January. And so that’s been our goal.
“But I watch all the games. I love football so I know exactly what’s going on and really, I think that’s a way that you learn and you feel like, hey, there’s good opportunities to be able to add.
“I’m very aware but I also do know that none of that stuff really matters and that is a hundred percent truth if we don’t do a great job getting ourselves prepared to go play a tough game at New York.”
While a first-round opponent hasn’t been determined yet, the Rams will likely begin their playoff run with a matchup against the Detroit Lions, Dallas Cowboys or Philadelphia Eagles on the road.
