What changes as the Rams find themselves in first place in the NFC West?

After the LA Rams defeated the San Francisco 49ers on Thursday Night Football, the Rams had scratched and clawed their way to a record of 8-6. And now, after the Green Bay Packers had defeated the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday Night Football, the Seahawks have fallen to the same record. But thanks to the Rams' victory over the Seahawks on the road earlier in the season, the Rams own the tiebreaker. That places the Rams in first place in the NFC West Division, at least for the time being.

Now the question is, what will change with the Rams' situation over the next three games? In two words, not much.

The Rams may be in first place on paper, but the margin of success that separates the first-place Rams from the last-place San Francisco 49ers in a mere two games with three games remaining on the schedule. So conceivably, the 49ers are not mathematically eliminated from anything just yet.

And with the Rams facing NFC West Division rivals in two of their final three games, there is no rest for the weary. At least, not yet. The Rams cannot enter the fray of the 2025 NFL Playoffs with anything less than a record of 10-7 and hope to win. Even with a record of 11-6, the Rams might still be no better than the fourth-seeded team and face most postseason games on the road.

So let's break down the NFC West Division remaining schedule, and let's toss in the schedule for the third-seed Tampa Bay Buccaneers for good measure:

As you can see, the Rams are unlike to overtake the Bucs in the last three games, as their last three opponents are almost certainly aiming for the 2025 NFL Draft rather than the 2025 NFL Playoffs at this point.

While the same could be said about the New York Jets, that game is troubling because everyone on the team must audition for a new general manager and a head coach who have yet to be hired. Above and beyond that, Week 16 could be the last time that venerable quarterbacks Matthew Stafford and Aaron Rodgers square off on the gridiron to face one another.

That game could be problematic.

But this season was always shaping up to be a showdown in the NFC West for the Rams. The team had three of the final four games of the season against divisional foes. Unless the Rams shot out to success instantly or tumbled to the bottom of the NFL, the season was bound to be decided by those games.

Stock up your pantry and fridge. Get plenty of rest. The next three games not only will make or break the Los Angeles Rams season, but it will dictate whether and how likely the team may advance to compete in Super Bowl LIX.

As always, thanks for reading.

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