LA Rams take advantage of Giants upset of Seahawks

The LA Rams win in Arizona ensures that this team did not squander the upset loss of the Seahawks to the visiting Giants

The LA Rams received an early Christmas present from the New York Giants and wasted no time in making use of it.  If you missed it, the New York Giants, a 4-7 team fighting to remain atop the dismal NFC East Division, played the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle in week 13 of the 2020 NFL season.  That game was played in Seattle, where the Giants were 11 point underdogs.

But that’s why they play the game.

The Giants upset the Seahawks by the score of 17-12. Not only did that ensure that the Giants retained a share of the NFC East lead, but it opened the door for the LA Rams to reclaim a piece of the NFC West lead. Thanks to a burst of offense, the Rams did exactly that by downing the Arizona Cardinals by a score of 38-28.

A gift horse

The LA Rams played teams from the NFC East early in the season. Of course, the Rams swept the division, leading to their early success. But other NFC West teams have not been as successful. The San Francisco 49ers lost at home to the Philadelphia Eagles early in the season.  Now, the New York Giants have defeated the Seattle Seahawks in Seattle.  And the East is not finished yet.

The Seahawks will travel east to face Washington in two weeks. The Cardinals must travel to New York to face the suddenly red-hot Giants, then return to Arizona to host the Philadelphia Eagles. And the last-place San Francisco 49ers host Washington next week and then must travel to Dallas to face the Cowboys.

Easier said than done

While the Rams sweep of the NFC East division did not meet with much fanfare or many headlines, it was a significant accomplishment nevertheless.  The NFC East remains a dangerous division, despite the many struggles of each team. Before Washington faces off against the undefeated Pittsburgh Steelers, they have a two-game winning streak. Thanks to the win at Seattle, the New York Giants are riding a wave of a four-game winning streak.

It’s never how you start an NFL season that carries a team into and through the NFL Playoffs. It’s now you finish the season. Right now, NFC East teams are starting to piece together winning formulae. That is what truly matters.  While some are okay with a rematch against the New York Giants in a playoff scenario, I’m not so sure.

No more pushovers

If the Giants or Washington end the season at or better than .500, they will have closed out the season with tremendous success. Facing a young team that suddenly gets red hot is not exactly an ideal situation. As long as the Rams win, that will not come into play. But a long trip to the East Coast to face an NFC East opponent will not be as easy as once thought.

The Rams may be in the cockpit of the NFC West right now, but they are by no means in the clear. The Rams next face a resurging New England Patriots team, then host a New York Jets team poised to shake up their coaching staff. Next, the Rams travel to Seattle to clash with the Seahawks, before closing out the season against the Arizona Cardinals. The Giants put up the best fight against the Rams. Now?  They have a chance to upset two NFC West teams that may have taken them for granted.