The Los Angeles Rams took care of business against the New Orleans Saints in Week 16, improving to 8-7 and inserting themselves into the NFC playoff picture. With just two weeks remaining in the regular season, head coach Sean McVay’s club is pushing for a Wild Card berth.
Let’s sort through the Rams’ playoff chances and determine what they can accomplish during Week 17’s tilt with the New York Giants.
Rams Playoff Chances | Week 17 Update
Note that this article was originally published on Dec. 31 before Sunday’s games began. The results of this week’s games are below and will continue to be updated throughout the day.
Following the completion of Week 17, the Rams have clinched a playoff berth and are currently the No. 6 seed in the NFC.
1 p.m. ET Games Update
Rams (9-7) defeated Giants (5-11)
Bears (7-9) defeated Falcons (7-9)
Saints (8-8) defeated Buccaneers (8-8)
4 p.m. ET Games Update
Steelers (9-7) defeated Seahawks (8-8)
Sunday Night Football Update
Packers (8-8) defeated Vikings (7-9)
Keep reading below to see the playoff scenarios for the Rams entering Week 17. And head over to PFN’s free NFL Playoff Predictor to test various scenarios and see how they change the playoff picture.
Los Angeles Rams’ Playoff Chances Entering Week 17
While few observers picked Los Angeles as a likely postseason entrant entering the 2023 NFL campaign, the Rams would be in the playoffs if the season ended today.
Matthew Stafford and Co. are currently the NFC’s sixth seed. While the division-rival Seattle Seahawks are also 8-7, the Rams have already beaten Seattle twice this year, giving them a head-to-head playoff tiebreaker.
LA cannot move into the No. 5 slot, regardless of how the rest of the year plays out. Whichever team loses the NFC East — likely the Dallas Cowboys, but potentially the Philadelphia Eagles — has already secured the fifth seed.
MORE: PFN’s FREE NFL Playoff Predictor
Four NFC teams — the Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta Falcons, Green Bay Packers, and Saints — have 7-8 records entering Week 17. While all four could theoretically move ahead of the Rams over the next two weeks, Minnesota and Green Bay remain the most significant threats.
The Vikings and Rams have identical 6-4 records inside the NFC and have two games remaining against conference competition. Meanwhile, the Packers defeated the Brett Rypien-led Rams in Week 9, giving Green Bay a tiebreaker that Los Angeles hopes won’t come into play.
Add it all up, and Pro Football Network’s simulations give the Rams a 51% chance of making the playoffs. LA finished as the No. 6 seed in 20% of sims and the No. 7 seed in 31%.
Rams’ Week 17 Playoff Scenarios
The Rams control their playoff destiny. Take down the Giants in Week 17 and the San Francisco 49ers — who have already clinched the NFC West — in Week 18, and Los Angeles is in the dance.
As a 4.5-point road favorite on Sunday, the Rams are expected to defeat the Giants. Assuming the club takes care of business, its postseason chances will increase to roughly 73%.
Still, that’s just in a vacuum without considering the results of other games around the NFC that could affect LA’s postseason path.
The Rams can clinch a playoff berth as soon as this weekend. Los Angeles will be in the tournament if they beat New York and Seattle loses to the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Rams could still slip to the seventh seed, but they’d be assured of making the postseason.
LA will also secure a playoff slot if it wins while the Packers and Vikings tie on Sunday Night Football.
Want to predict the rest of the 2023 season with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor? Looking for the most up-to-date NFL standings? What about a breakdown of team depth charts or the NFL schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with that and more!