NFC playoff picture: Rams move up again after 4th straight win

From the depths of the NFC West, the Los Angeles Rams have steadily climbed the standings and put themselves in the driver’s seat with two weeks to go. Once a last-place team, the Rams now lead the division and have a very good chance to clinch their second straight playoff appearance.

After notching their fourth straight win on Sunday, the Rams improved their record to 9-6, coming back from an incredibly slow start that saw them sitting at 1-4 after only five games. The job’s not done yet, but simply getting to this point is quite an accomplishment.

Just three weeks ago, the Rams were 10th in the NFC and sitting on the outside of the playoff picture, but they’ve become a legitimate Super Bowl contender and a team that could make some noise in January.

Here’s a look at the current standings in the conference heading into Week 17.

1. Lions: 13-2 (NFC North)
2. Eagles: 12-3 (NFC East)
3. Rams: 9-6 (NFC West)
4. Falcons: 8-7 (NFC South)
5. Vikings: 13-2 (wild card)
6. Packers: 11-4 (wild card)
7. Commanders: 10-5 (wild card)
8. Buccaneers: 8-7
9. Seahawks: 8-7

Thanks to the Rams’ win over the Jets and Buccaneers’ loss to the Cowboys, Los Angeles moved up another spot from No. 4 to 3. They can’t catch the Eagles for the No. 2 seed in the conference, but as long as they maintain a lead over the Falcons and Bucs, the Rams are tracking to be the third seed.

If the season ended today, the first-round matchups would look like this.

7. Commanders at 2. Eagles
6. Packers at 3. Rams
5. Vikings at 4. Falcons

There isn’t an easy first-round matchup for the Rams no matter how things shake out. The Packers already beat Los Angeles this season and the Vikings are a win away from taking over the No. 1 seed, while the Commanders boast an explosive offense led by rookie Jayden Daniels.

Of course, the Rams need to get into the playoffs first but according to the New York Times, they have an 88% chance to make the postseason as of now. With a win over the Cardinals on Saturday, that number increases to 99%, no matter what the Seahawks do on Thursday night.