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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Jess Root

NFC West standings: Rams clinch playoff berth, Seahawks on brink

In Week 17, the NFC West went 3-1. Only the Seattle Seahawks lost their game as the San Francisco 49ers, Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals all won theirs.

Entering the final week of the season, the division standings are locked in. Two teams will play in the postseason and a third can still make the postseason.

Here are the NFC West standings entering the final week of the season:

  1. San Francisco 49ers, 12-4
  2. Los Angeles Rams, 9-7
  3. Seattle Seahawks, 8-8
  4. Arizona Cardinals, 4-12

Let’s take a look at what happened in Week 17 and what is coming in the final week of the season.

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers clinched the No. 1 seed in the NFC, meaning they will have a first-round bye in the playoffs and will have home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

They defeated the Washington Commanders 27-10 behind Brock Purdy’s two touchdown passes, and the defense forced three Washington turnovers, picking off Sam Howell twice.

Los Angeles Rams

The Rams clinched a playoff berth with their 26-25 win over the New York Giants, although they had a scare.

After Kyren Williams scored his third touchdown of the game, the Rams missed the extra point, making it 26-19.

The Giants could have taken the lead twice near the end of the game. Gunner Olszewski returned a punt 94 yards for a touchdown with 3:27 left in the game. The Giants went for two to take the lead but did not convert.

The Rams went three and out after that, giving the Giants the ball back, but Mason Crosby missed a 54-yard field goal with under a minute left that would have given the Giants the lead and the win. The Rams are now locked in as the No. 6 seed in the conference.

Seattle Seahawks

Seattle fell out of the playoff picture after losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-23. Najee Harris rushed for 122 yards and two touchdowns and the Steelers gashed Seattle’s defense for 202 rushing yards as a team.

The Seahawks need a win in Week 18 over the Arizona Cardinals and a loss by the Green Bay Packers to make the playoffs.

Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals, playing for pride and the future, hurt their 2024 NFL draft status a little bit in a 35-31 comeback win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

They rushed for 221 yards as a team, led by James Conner’s 128 yards. Kyler Murray threw three second-half touchdown passes, rallying back from a 21-6 halftime deficit to tie the score and then get a game-winning drive with less than a minute to go.

Coming up in Week 18

The regular season ends with two division games.

  • The Seahawks end the season on the road against the Cardinals, needing a win and a Packers loss to make the playoffs as the final wild card.
  • The 49ers play the Rams on the road to end the season.

More Cardinals and NFL coverage

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire’s Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify.

 

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