2021 LA Rams playoff picture forming via the ESPN Playoff machine

Week 13

If the LA Rams do manage a win in Week 12, they will remain firmly entrenched as the fifth-seeded wild card team and trail the Cardinals by two games. How? Well, even at 9-2, the Cardinals win all tiebreakers with the LA Rams, so the Rams must realize that the best option for the team is to run the table. While that may seem unlikely, anything less creates a large dependency upon other teams to help the Rams win the NFC West Division. Help is not something that can be relied upon this year.

LA Rams host Jacksonville Jaguars:  If there is any game that the LA Rams can consider the most winnable, the Week 13 matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars is it. The Jaguars have a respectable defense, but that offense struggles to put points on the scoreboard. After a Week 12 battle with a very intense mindset, the passion will spill over into Week 13.

Predicted score: LA Rams 42 Jacksonville Jaguars 13

Other games with NFL Playoff implications

San Francisco 49ers at Seattle Seahawks: I want to believe that the Seahawks have some oomph left, particularly in this instance when they could play spoilers to the 49ers and derail their hopes of a low seed in the upcoming playoffs. I’d love to see it, but I’m not about to predict it.

Predicted score: Seattle Seahawks 20 SF 49ers 30

Arizona Cardinals at Chicago Bears: The Chicago Bears are expected to have a new interim head coach for this game, and a new rookie quarterback who struggles mightily. The Cardinals could run into a trap game here, with the rematch against the LA Rams the following week. But the Bears have already mailed in their season, unfortunately.

Predicted score: Arizona Cardinals 21 Chicago Bears 7