The Los Angeles Rams saw the No. 1 seed in the NFC go to the Chicago Bears. Sean McVay’s team lost to the Carolina Panthers, 31-28, and the Bears defeated the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-15, to snatch the top seed for the time being.
But, the Rams are still in first place in the NFC West going into Week 14, even with the Seattle Seahawks sporting an identical 9-3 record.
The San Francisco 49ers are right behind with a 9-4 mark, so things are way too close for any sort of comfort in the NFC West.
At this rate, the NFC North and NFC West races are going to come down to the wire, and it will likely change and shift every week until the end of the regular season.
Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report predicted division winners entering the final month of the regular season.
As for the NFC West, he had the Rams surviving in a very, very close call.
“Who’ll Win It: Los Angeles (13-4), with Seattle finishing 13-4 and San Francisco finishing 12-5,” Gagnon wrote.
Rams Sneak By Despite Tie With Seahawks
While Gagnon has the Rams and Seahawks both finished at 13-4, it is the Rams who take the crown in these predictions.
But, it is so, so close, and the 49ers could help the Rams with that matter.
“The key difference? The Seahawks just might split the season series with the Rams by beating them at home in Week 16, but they also have to play in San Francisco in Week 18,” Gagnon said. “I get the feeling that’ll mean a playoff spot to the feisty 49ers, who would hand the Seahawks their third divisional loss (and the likely tiebreak to the Rams).”
The 49ers have won three in a row entering Week 14, while the Seahawks are winners of two straight.
“The way the schedule lies, I can see the Seahawks being in the driver’s seat with two weeks to go and then blowing it on the road in Weeks 17 and 18.”
“That said, this is a genuine three-way toss-up,” Gagnon wrote. “The 49ers have more room to make up but are in superb tiebreaker shape with a 4-1 divisional record, and they have just one road game remaining. It’s the wild West.”
Sean McVay Not Focused On Playoff Seeding
As of right now, McVay has no worries about any potential playoff seeding, as he said going into Week 14.
“I don’t track it in the least bit,” McVay said, via Sarah Barshop of ESPN. “It’s not important to me at all. What’s important to me is us being totally and completely present today. We’re not even in … We have no guarantee to play past 17 games.”
Despite the Rams taking the top spot in the NFC temporarily, the loss to the Panthers was a sign that nobody should get ahead of themselves.
“Last week serves as a phenomenal reminder of man, you get all ahead of yourself, we won’t even be in the playoffs if we’re not careful,” McVay said. “And so, that’s where none of that matters to me at all.”
Right now, all that matters is winning each game each week, and everything else will sort itself out in one way or another.
Rams’ NFC West Hopes Get Huge Prediction Despite Seahawks, 49ers Surge