LA Rams humble baseline sets stage to improve for NFL Playoffs

Finish the season well

It was never going to be how the LA Rams started the 2021 NFL season.  How this team finishes it off will dictate the success or failure of the 2021 NFL season. For all of the MVP, Offensive Player of the Year, and Super Bowl talk, the LA Rams Week 9 loss erased all of that unbridled optimism. Two feet are back on the ground. Eyes are facing forward. There is a lot of work to do, and it all came crashing down after an unexpected setback.

So the Rams have certainly set a low enough baseline from which to improve from here on out. And, of course, a Week 10 win against NFC West nemesis, the San Francisco 49ers, will go a long way to restoring some positive momentum for the Rams.

Any win, no matter how ugly, puts things right back on track for this team. The Rams need 12 wins to get to the playoffs. That is just five wins away. Winning on Monday Night Football shrinks that number to winning four more games.

After the BYE week, the Rams have a pretty tough schedule, facing teams with a cumulative record of 32-27. More than likely, the Rams must defeat a successful team to win the fourth game after their BYE. But if the 49ers win? Winning five games after the BYE week appears much more difficult.

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 (6-3) 1:25 pm PT
Week 18: San Francisco (3-5) 1:25 pm PT

The LA Rams have the pieces in place to rock the NFL the rest of the way. No, it won’t be easy. Yes, it all depends on remaining healthy.  So far, with the recent news about Robert Woods, even that doesn’t appear to be easy.