LA Rams face Cardinals amidst injuries and COVID-19 in Week 14

The LA Rams know full well that one of the most important games of the season is playing out in Week 14 on Monday Night Football. As is the case with virtually each NFC West contest, there is a lot on the line for both teams.

For the Arizona Cardinals, it’s a matter of playoff seeding. Right now, the Cardinals are the best team in the NFL. Winning at home on Week 14 places them as the odds on favorite to claim the top-seed of the NFC Playoffs, earn a bye-week, and play at home through the playoffs.

For the LA Rams, it’s a bit more basic.  If the Rams win, they will cement their fifth season with a winning record, will anchor themselves as a playoff team, and will even keep the faint hope alive of winning the NFC West Division. But let’s be perfectly clear. The Arizona Cardinals hold virtually all tie-breakers against the Rams, even if the Rams win.

Depleted Rams roster must win now

That means that the Rams will need to beat the Cardinals PLUS win two more games this season from Weeks 15-18 than the Cardinals.  To do so, the Rams will need to extend their winning streak despite being a bit short-handed:

The team lost Darrell Henderson to COVID-19 IR and rookie DB Robert Rochell to injured reserve. That was followed by:

But then the unthinkable happened:

The LA Rams roster is getting crushed under a late-season COVID-19 outbreak just before their Monday Night Football contest.  Right now, you have to wonder if there are more key players who cannot suit up by game time?  The Rams’ secondary is decimated for this one. But the offense is likely just as ragtag.

Winning is tough enough in the NFL. Now, the Rams must do so despite fending off a host of injuries that has decimated this roster. Not only that, but the recent outbreak of COVID-19 among players could not have happened at a worse time for the team.

Of course, this is the NFL, and it’s time to break out the ‘next man up,’ mantra. The Rams must play to win with whatever roster this team can field on Monday Night Football and each game through the end of the season. It was always a 17-game season. As such, this year was always going to be about two things:  Fielding the best team and building the deepest roster.

Did the LA Rams accomplish both? The time to debate is over. Now, it’s up to the Rams to win, despite the depleted Rams roster.