Getty Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald
The Los Angeles Rams had to beat a 6-7 Dallas Cowboys team that had been falling apart at the seams over the past few weeks. Instead, they got decimated in Dallas, while the Cowboys moved to .500 on the season.
The loss dropped the Rams down to 8-6, and they are lucky the Chicago Bears got beat by the Green Bay Packers earlier in the day, or else they’d be tied with Chicago right now, although they would have owned the tie-breaker.
So what does the Rams’ loss mean for the NFC playoff picture and the Wild Card race? Here’s a look at the current standings in the NFC.
*Note: All data and percentages included here are courtesy of Playoff Status.
Current NFC Playoff Outlook After Rams Loss & Cowboys Win
GettyDak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys handily beat the Los Angeles Rams Sunday.
The Seattle Seahawks are now the top seed in the NFC at 11-3. The Green Bay Packers are the #2 seed, and they beat the Bears earlier today. The New Orleans Saints are occupying the 3rd spot in the conference playoff picture, and will play Monday night against the Indianapolis Colts. The Dallas Cowboys (7-7) currently have the #4 spot, and their dismantling of the Los Angeles Rams Sunday afternoon keeps their 4th place spot secure for at least another week.
The two Wild Card spots in the NFC are held by the 49ers (11-3) who have the 5th spot, and the Vikings (10-4) who are the 6th seed. The Rams are 8-6 after falling to the Cowboys today, but if they win out and Minnesota loses both remaining games, the Rams will take the Vikings’ Wild Card spot. The Philadelphia Eagles are also still in the hunt at 7-7, and could swap spots with the Cowboys if Dallas falters in the last two games.
Los Angeles Rams Updated Playoff Outlook After Loss
The Rams needed a win against the Dallas Cowboys Sunday, but Jared Goff and company could not deliver.
The Rams did nothing to help their playoff chances Sunday. They got behind early and couldn’t rely as much on star running back Todd Gurley as they would have liked. After losing to Dallas Sunday, the Rams now have just an 11% chance of making the playoffs at all.
With the Rams’ loss, the Seahawks and 49ers have both secured playoff spots.
Had they taken care of business in Dallas, the Rams would have had a 39% chance at securing a Wild Card spot, as opposed to the 11% chance they have now. Los Angeles will visit the 49ers next week, and they will close out the season Week 17 at home against the Cardinals.
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