The Rams' path to clinching the NFC West and a playoff berth in Week 17 became slightly more complicated with the Seahawks' 6-3 Thursday Night Football win over the Bears.
Los Angeles needed a win over the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday, and checked that box with a 13-9 victory Saturday night at SoFi Stadium. It also got some of the help it needed for the Strength of Victory tiebreaker over Seattle with the Bengals defeating the Broncos in overtime on Saturday.
Now, in order to clinch the NFC West in Week 17, the Rams will need help from at least 3 of 5 other teams playing this weekend.
What clinching scenarios remain in play for the Rams in Week 17?
The Rams need a win over the Cardinals on Saturday, and also need to win the Strength of Victory tiebreaker over the Seahawks via 4 wins from any of these teams this week: Bengals, Commanders, Bills, 49ers, Vikings and Browns.
The Rams defeated the Cardinals 13-9 to cross that off, and the Bengals knocked off the Broncos in overtime.
So, it's now down to getting 3 wins from any of the Commanders, Bills, 49ers, Vikings and/or Browns – all playing at home this weekend, just like the Bengals.
Bills-Jets is at 10 a.m. PT Sunday, Browns-Dolphins at 1:05 p.m. PT Sunday, Vikings-Packers 1:25 p.m. PT Sunday.
The Commanders face the Falcons on Sunday Night Football, the 49ers the Lions on Monday Night Football.
Hypothetically, the Rams could clinch as early as late Sunday afternoon or early Sunday evening if the first three games break their way.
What is Strength of Victory?
Strength of Victory is the combined record of all opponents a team has beaten, and serves as the fifth step in NFL tiebreaking procedures between two teams. Because the records of those defeated opponents can change over the course of the season, so too can a team's Strength of Victory.
The Rams' is currently .444 with 68 wins:
- 49ers (6-9)
- Raiders (3-12)
- Vikings (13-2)
- Seahawks (9-7)
- Patriots (3-12)
- Saints (5-10)
- Bills (12-3)
- 49ers (6-9)
- Jets (4-11)
- Cardinals (7-9)
So, 68 wins out of 152 total games played by those teams beaten = .444. The Seahawks' ninth win Thursday night counted toward that, and the Rams gained another 7 from beating the Cardinals tonight.
The Seahawks' is currently .393 with 55 wins:
- Broncos (9-7)
- Patriots (3-13)
- Dolphins (7-8)
- Falcons (8-7)
- 49ers (6-9)
- Cardinals (7-9)
- Jets (4-11)
- Cardinals (7-9)
- Bears (4-12)
So, 55 wins out of 140 total games played by those teams beaten = .393.
Why do the Bengals, Commanders, Bills, 49ers, Vikings and Browns' games matter to the Rams and the Strength of Victory tiebreaker?
In short, the Rams need more of the teams they've defeated and the Seahawks haven't to win, or the teams the Seahawks have defeated and the Rams haven't to lose.
Mapped out further:
The Bengals face the Broncos (1:30 p.m. PT Saturday, NFL Network). A Bengals win prevents a Broncos win from being added to, and therefore improving, the Seahawks' Strength of Victory.
The Commanders face the Falcons (5:20 p.m. PT Sunday, NBC). A Commanders win prevents a Falcons win from being added to the Seahawks' Strength of Victory.
The Bills face the Jets (10 a.m. PT Sunday, CBS). A Bills win prevents a Jets win from being added to the Rams' and the Seahawks' Strength of Victory, which is still a positive outcome for the Rams.
The 49ers face the Lions (5:15 p.m. PT Monday, ESPN). Similar to Bills-Jets, a 49ers win prevent effectively cancels out the effect it would have on the Rams and the Seahawks' Strength of Victory, which is still a positive outcome for the Rams.
The Vikings face the Packers (1:25 p.m. PT Sunday, FOX). A Vikings win helps boost the Rams' Strength of Victory.
The Browns face the Dolphins (1:05 p.m. PT Sunday, CBS). A Browns win prevents a Dolphins win from being added to the Seahawks' Strength of Victory.
For a visual representation, Deniz Selman posted this helpful color-coded guide on X this week for a more digestible view of necessary outcomes for that tiebreaker for each team:
