NFL Playoff scenarios created by LA Rams final 5 games

At 7-4, the LA Rams are no doubt somewhat confident of a chance to compete in the NFL Playoffs. But it’s not guaranteed

The LA Rams are 11 games into the 2020 NFL season. If the season ended today, they would be the top wildcard in the NFC and would travel to take on the stingy New York Giants (4-7). That game was far closer than anyone expected, as the Rams won at home by a score of 17-9. Truth be told, the Giants put up the toughest fight out of the NFC East teams.

So even in the playoffs, against the ‘easiest’ team, the Rams could struggle.  it’s why we had emphasized that closing out the season strongly is so critical to postseason success. Right now, the Rams are at the cusp of a playoff berth. While there is a bit of wiggle room between where this team is today and where they need to be, the results can still fall as the top seed to completely out of the NFL Playoffs. Let’s discuss each berth, and the challenges facing the Rams to get there.

Top-seed and a bye week

The top-seeded team in both the AFC and NFC will earn the only bye week in the playoffs this year.  In the NFC, the top-seeded team is the New Orleans Saints with a record of 9-2. Since they would win all tie-breakers with the Rams, the 7-4 Rams would need to win out, and the Saints would need to lose three of their remaining five games.

The Saints are currently without veteran quarterback Drew Brees, but they face the Atlanta Falcons, Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings, and Carolina Panthers. The most realistic worst-case scenario for the Saints is losing two games, which would still allow them to win tiebreakers with the Saints. Add to that the presence of both the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers at the 8-3 tier, and the Rams certainly have an uphill climb to the top-seed of the NFC