After an embarrassing loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the Los Angeles Rams find themselves with dwindling odds to make the playoffs. The NFL’s prediction model gives them a 13 percent chance of making the postseason. ESPN’s says there is a 15 percent chance, while The Athletic’s model gives the team a 21 percent chance.
Regardless of whether the Rams make the playoffs or not, the bigger question is can they contend with the best of the best of NFC football?
In his recent article for the 33rd team, Marcus Mosher breaks down why they won’t make an impact in the playoffs.
Rams Fail To Make Noise In The Postseason
There is a lot to like about the Los Angeles Rams, should they make it to the postseason. They have a Super Bowl-winning quarterback who can go toe-to-toe with the league’s top passers in any game. With Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, and Kyren Williams, they have the weapons on offense to win a shootout.
The biggest issue with the Rams is that they don’t have the front seven to stop opposing rushing attacks. We saw this on full display in Week 12, as Saquon Barkley racked up more than 300 yards from scrimmage on Monday Night Football.
While not every team has a Saquon Barkley, most of the top teams in the NFC can run the ball (Lions, Eagles, Falcons, Packers, etc). And the Rams just don’t have the defenders to match up with balanced offenses.
It would be fun to see Stafford in another playoff game, but this team isn’t ready to win a big-time game against a good opponent. And that’s why their record is what it is after 12 weeks. Don’t be surprised if the Rams fight back into the wild-card race but fail to make noise in the postseason.
Verdict: Pretender
