Seahawks success preserves Rams premium path through NFL playoffs

The 13-3 Seattle Seahawks faced the 12-4 San Francisco 49ers in Week 18 to determine the winner of the NFC West Division, as well as the top-seeded team for the upcoming NFL Playoffs. Had the 49ers prevailed, the 11-5 Los Angeles Rams would be locked into the sixth seed of the playoffs, regardless of how they performed against the visiting 3-13 Arizona Cardinals.

But by defeating the 49ers, the Seahawks may have done Los Angeles a big favor. You see, now that the 49ers are 12-5, the Rams can match that record with a victory over the Cardinals in Week 18. If that happens, the Rams snatch the fifth seed, and the Niners will land at the sixth seed.

The fifth-seeded team faces either the 8-9 Tampa Bay Buccaneers or the 8-9 Carolina Panthers. The sixth-seeded team must face either the 12-5 Philadelphia Eagles or the 11-6 Chicago Bears. While anything can happen in the postseason, teams would certainly prefer to face a sub-.500 opponent if they have the option.

As of right now, Los Angeles has that option.

What does a Rams postseason path look like as the fifth seeded team?

As the team faces the opportunity to claim the fifth-seeded slot in the NFL playoffs, what might that path look like? Well, the LA Rams would face either the Buccaneers or the Panthers in the Wild Card Round. But what happens next?

If all games fall as expected (they won't), the next opponent would be the 14-3 Seattle Seahawks. But the Rams have all the confidence in the world for that one. After all, LA played to a 1-1 record against the Seahawks, and the margin of victory was just one point, in LA's favor.

If the Rams advance, they must face the winner of the other divisional round contest. For now, that most likely points to the Philadelphia Eagles. And after that? Super Bowl LX.

Of course, upsets happen every year. If an upset happens in Round 1, the Rams will continue to face the lesser-seeded opponent. After all, they will be given a less-challenging path than the sixth-seeded or seventh-seeded teams. But to do so, they have to overcome the Cardinals.

As always, thanks for reading.