How playoff fallout from Thanksgiving NFL games played impacts Rams

Here we are, just days after Thanksgiving Day, and the NFL has already invested in several games with significant playoff implications. While the 9-2 Los Angeles Rams play on Sunday morning, the team is impacted by the results of the games played earlier this week. And so it goes as the season winds down. The pressure and the impacts go up.

And so, here we are, preparing to face the Carolina Panthers, but keeping the rest of the NFL games in the periphery. Some teams that were red hot no longer are. Other teams that struggled are suddenly getting hot. And Los Angeles, a team that was once a struggling team that got hotter as the season wore on, can learn valuable lessons.

But the only certainty for any NFL team is that there are no sure things. Two years ago, LA was 6-7 and won the final four games of the season to earn a berth in postseason competition. Last year, the team was 6-6 before winning its next four games. So yes, anything can happen. Who's getting hot and who's not after a flurry of early Week 13 games

NFL playoff picture is beginning to form for Rams now

The Rams are not just a good team. They are beating good teams soundly. But in the NFL, a team is only as good as its last victory. And in a win-or-go-home playoff format, Los Angeles knows that every game is crucial.

So, getting free intel about potential opponents is always in style. What can we learn about the NFL after the four early games?

Green Bay Packers 31 | Detroit Lions 24

The 8-3-1 Packers certainly helped the 7-5 Lions feel anxious over their playoff chances. With the loss, the Lions are the eighth-seeded team with only seven playoff slots. The victory gives the Packers every tie-breaker over the Lions in the postseason.

Are the Packers the NFC North's best? Two games against the Chicago Bears will settle that question.

Kansas City Chiefs 28 | Dallas Cowboys 31

Don't look now, but here come the 6-5-1 Cowboys. After consecutive wins over the 8-4 Philadelphia Eagles and 6-6 Kansas City Chiefs in less than a week is pretty impressive. The Chiefs are fading fast, losers of three of their last four games. The Cowboys have won three consecutive games after their Week 10 BYE.

And with the 7-5 Detroit Lions and 7-4 Los Angeles Chargers remaining as the only postseason contenders on the schedule, the Cowboys have to be confident of a playoff berth.

Cincinnati Bengals 32 | Baltimore Ravens 14

The 6-6 Ravens had a five-game winning streak come to a screeching halt at home against the playing for pride 4-8 Bengals. Ah, but such is the stuff of division rivalries. Quarterback Joe Burrow is back, and the Ravens were delighted to gift him five turnovers in a humbling loss.

The Ravens may have been caught peering ahead to the first of two games against the Pittsburgh Steelers. It's conceivable that the winner of the NFC North Division may not even have a successful season (less than .500)

Chicago Bears 24 | Philadelphia Eagles 15

The 9-3 Chicago Bears have won five consecutive games, while the 8-4 Philadelphia Eagles have lost their second consecutive game. The good news for Eagles fans is that they only have the Los Angeles Chargers and Buffalo Bills as successful teams remaining on their schedules.

The Bears must still face the Packers twice, the San Francisco 49ers, and the Detroit Lions.

Los Angeles has a one-game lead over the Chicago Bears for the top seed in the NFC right now. As long as LA keeps winning, the team has nothing to fear. But if the team hits a snag in this season, the team quickly plummets from top seed to a low-seeded wild card team. Have the Los Angeles Rams peaked too early this season? Prepare to find out quickly.

As always, thanks for reading