The Los Angeles Rams took down the Browns, 36-19, to stay in the fight for a playoff spot. The team has won more games in 2023 than they did in all of last season, and they still have five more games left to go.
A month ago, very few people were giving the Rams any shot to make the playoffs. At 3-6, it looked like they had no chance of reaching the postseason. Now, at 6-6, what do their playoff chances look like?
Rams Playoff Chances
The Rams are now on a three-game win streak, greatly improving their chances of making the playoffs as compared to three weeks ago. This is the team’s first three-game winning streak since 2021.
They didn’t have a single three-game winning streak during last year’s rough 5-12 season. Their last three-game winning streak was during the 2021 playoffs, which was actually a four-game stretch against the Cardinals, Bucs, 49ers, and Bengals in the Super Bowl. They also won five straight from Weeks 13-17 that regular season.
In the Week 13 matchup, it was a great start to the game for the Browns and new starting quarterback Joe Flacco. Cleveland drove 75 yards on nine plays and capped off the march with a touchdown pass from Flacco to a wide-open Jerome Ford.
After that score, the Rams defense did not allow another touchdown until the fourth quarter.
The Browns were able to stay in the game, and Flacco played well enough to give his team the chance to win. But in the fourth quarter, Flacco threw an interception.
MORE: Los Angeles Rams Depth Chart
In the win, Rams QB Matthew Stafford completed 59.5% of his passes for 279 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.
With the loss, the Browns move to 7-5, tied with the Steelers, Texans, and Colts in the AFC. The Rams’ win moves them to 6-6, tied with the Vikings and Seahawks in the NFC. With the win, the Rams inched into the playoff picture and slotted into the No. 7 seed.
But after the Green Bay Packers took home a win over the Chiefs on Sunday, they then took over the No. 7 seed, meaning even more work will have to be done for the Rams.
Los Angeles is now second in the NFC West behind the 9-3 San Francisco 49ers. Being three games behind the 49ers, it will be extremely tough for them to catch up.
Winning the division is one way for the team to clinch, but they can also claim a Wild Card spot.
Because the Seattle Seahawks lost to the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday and are 6-6 with two losses to the Rams, that puts Los Angeles in second place in the NFC West and ahead of the Seahawks in the playoff picture. If the Rams can just win more games than they lose over the rest of the season, it should be enough to give them a Wild Card spot.
The Cowboys hold the first Wild Card spot at 9-3, now just one game behind the 10-2 Eagles. Next, the Minnesota Vikings are 6-6, and they have a better conference record than the Rams.
The Rams’ winning streak will be put to the test next week when they visit the Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium, facing the top team in the AFC with Baltimore coming off its bye. After that, however, the Rams face just one team over their final four games that currently has a winning record.
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!