Thanks to a win over the Jets, the Seahawks' loss to the Vikings, and the Cardinals' loss to the Panthers in Week 16, the Rams not only remain atop the NFC West, but in position to potentially clinch the division in Week 17.
Here's what that full NFC playoff picture looks like and how various Week 17 matchups – including the Rams' against the Cardinals at SoFi Stadium – will impact the division and the playoff picture.
No. 1 seed - Detroit Lions
The Lions maintained control of the top seed because of their win over the Bears and the Eagles' loss to the Commanders.
Detroit has already clinched a playoff berth.
No. 2 seed - Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia's 36-33 loss to Washington gave Detroit some separation for the No. 1 seed, but the Eagles still could grab it if they win out, the Lions lose to the 49ers, the Vikings lose to the Packers in Week 17 and the Vikings beat the Lions in Week 18.
The Eagles have already clinched a playoff berth.
No. 3 seed - Los Angeles Rams
The Rams moved up one spot via the Bucs' loss to the Cowboys.
No. 4 seed - Atlanta Falcons
The Bucs' loss dropped them to 8-7 overall; the Falcons moved to 8-7 overall with their win over the Giants. Having already swept Tampa Bay, Atlanta consequently moved into first place in the division and the No. 4 seed thanks to that head-to-head tiebreaker.
The Falcons can clinch the NFC South, and therefore a playoff spot, with a win over the Commanders and a Bucs loss to the Panthers.
No. 5 seed – Minnesota Vikings
Minnesota remained in possession of the No. 5 seed and moved to 13-2 overall with its win over Seattle. While the Vikings have the same overall record as the Lions, the Lions still have the head-to-head tiebreaker from defeating the Vikings 31-29 on Oct. 20. Both teams will have their final meeting of the regular season next week.
The Vikings have already clinched a playoff berth.
No. 6 seed – Green Bay Packers
The Packers clinched a playoff berth with their Monday Night Football win over the Saints.
No. 7 seed - Washington Commanders
Washington's win over Philadelphia kept it in possession of the No. 7 seed.
Clinching scenarios and key Week 17 matchups
The Rams can clinch the NFC West (and therefore a playoff berth) via any of the following scenarios:
- A win over the Cardinals and a Seahawks loss to the Bears (Seattle plays Thursday night).
- A win over the Cardinals plus clinching Strength of Victory tiebreaker over Seattle with four wins from the Bengals, Commanders, Bills, 49ers, Vikings and Browns.
- A loss to the Cardinals and a Seahawks tie with the Bears.
As for other games to watch besides Rams-Cardinals:
- Seahawks at Bears (5:15 p.m. PT Thursday, Amazon Prime Video): As noted above, a Seattle loss at Chicago creates the easiest path to clinching for Los Angeles.
- Jets at Bills (10 a.m. PT Sunday, CBS): A Bills win would count toward 1 of 4 needed amongst that aforementioned group to clinch the Strength of Victory tiebreaker.
- Dolphins at Browns (1:05 p.m. PT Sunday, CBS): A Browns win would count toward 1 of 4 needed for the Strength of Victory tiebreaker.
- Broncos at Bengals (1:30 p.m. PT Saturday, NFL Network): A Bengals win would count toward 1 of 4 needed for the Strength of Victory tiebreaker.
- Packers at Vikings (1:25 p.m. PT Sunday, FOX): A Vikings win would count toward 1 of 4 needed for the Strength of Victory tiebreaker. This also has potential Wild Card opponent ramifications, as the Vikings are currently the 5 seed and the Packers the 6 seed.
- Falcons at Commanders (5:20 p.m. PT Sunday, NBC): A Commanders win counts toward 1 of 4 needed toward Strength of Victory tiebreaker, and also provides the Rams some cushion with the No. 3 seed.
- Lions at 49ers (5:15 p.m. PT Monday, ESPN): A 49ers win counts toward 1 of 4 needed toward Strength of Victory tiebreaker. And, depending on the outcome of Vikings-Packers, could also have seeding ramifications. If the Lions and Vikings both win, their Week 18 matchup would decide the NFC North, and the loser of that matchup would slide down to the No. 5 seed.
