LA Rams are losing ground in NFC West race to the Arizona Cardinals

When the LA Rams lost to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4, few of us truly appreciated the significance. The early loss was simply the first loss to the newly reformulated Rams roster, a minor setback in a season where the Cardinals would stumble once more, and it would be the Rams, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Seattle Seahawks who would be duking it out for the supremacy of the NFC West Division.

Well, here we are, emerging from Week 9 and the Seahawks and 49ers are both tanking with records of 3-5, and the Rams are sitting at 7-2. While that is numerically one game behind the 8-1 Cardinals, it is effectively two games because the Rams lose all projected tie-breakers with the Cardinals in the event of NFL Playoffs berth seeding.

These LA Rams must make up ground in the remaining eight games, and that most certainly won’t be easy. The most critical game for the Rams is clearly Week 14 when the Rams must travel to face the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football. That is clearly a must-win game for these Rams to harbor any hopes of winning the division. Another game with nearly equal consequences is Week 12 when the Rams come out of their BYE Week to travel to the Lambeau Field and face the Green Bay Packers.

Rams Remaining games on their Schedule

The team has a chance to rebound in Week 10 on Monday, November 15th as the team travels to face the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football. Even the struggling 49ers have proven to be a very difficult game for the Rams, regardless of record.  Here’s a look at their schedule for the remainder of the LA Rams 2021 NFL season:

Week 10: @ San Francisco (3-5) 5:15 pm PT (Monday Night Football)
Week 11: BYE WEEK
Week 12: @ Green Bay (7-2) 1:25 pm PT
Week 13: vs. Jacksonville (2-6) 1:25 pm PT
Week 14: @ Arizona (8-1) 5:15 pm PT (Monday Night Football)
Week 15:  vs. Seattle (3-5) 1:25 pm PT
Week 16: @ Minnesota (3-5) 10:00 am PT
Week 17: @ Baltimore (6-2) 1:25 pm PT
Week 18: San Francisco (3-5) 1;25 pm PT

For the Arizona Cardinals, their remaining schedule is far less intimidating. Here are their remaining games:

Week 10: vs. Carolina (4-5)
Week 11: @ Seattle (3-5)
Week 12: BYE WEEK
Week 13: @ Chicago (3-5)
Week 14: vs. Los Angeles Rams (7-2) 5:15 pm PT (Monday Night Football)
Week 15: @ Detroit (0-8)
Week 16:  vs. Indianapolis (4-5)
Week 17: @ Dallas (7-2)
Week 18: vs. Seattle (3-5)

As you can see, the Cardinals only face two winning teams for the remainder of their schedule: The LA Rams and the Dallas Cowboys. That means that if the Rams are going to win the division, it’s on them to do so. We’ll be talking about regrouping and reformulating how the Rams go about things this week.

For now, it was just one game. The Rams remain five games from their 12th victory, the total that all but guarantees a trip to the NFL Playoffs in the NFC. The only other NFC team with a realistic chance at a 12 win season in the wild-card track is the New Orleans Saints (5-3).

There is no more saving players, plays, or bona fide effort. The time is now. The LA Rams need to kick it into high gear now.  After all, it appears that the Arizona Cardinals and the Tennessee Titans are already there.