When the LA Rams (8-6) entered Week 16, the team held a tiebreaker lead over the Seattle Seahawks (8-6). But the Arizona Cardinals (7-7) and San Francisco 49ers (6-8) remained in the hunt for winning the NFC West Division title. Of course, the key phrasing is 'when they entered.' You see, the NFC West Division would experience a bit of upheaval this week
There is a reason why winning late in the season is favored over winning early in the season. Late-season victories add to the win column and shrink the magic number needed for a seed in the upcoming NFL Playoffs. For the Rams, everything that could benefit the team in terms of winning the NFC West Division title happened.
Just to recap: The LA Rams (9-6) moved into sole possession of first-place in the NFC West Division, if only temporarily. Two NFC West Division teams, the San Francisco 49ers (6-9) and the Arizona Cardinals (7-8), have been eliminated from the 2025 NFL Playoffs. And the Seattle Seahawks (8-7) are clinging to the faintest hopes of postseason play.
San Francisco 49ers (eliminated)
The San Francisco 49ers find themselves spiraling out of control now. At one point, the team ws 5-4 and had defeated the NFC South Division leader, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But the team has now lost five of its last six games, the most recent coming on the road at the hands of the Miami Dolphins (7-8).
The 49ers offense, routed through a strong rushing attack, has flailed since losing RB Christian McCaffrey to injury. Still the 10th-ranked rushing offense at 130.0 yards per game, the 49ers could only muster 81 rushing yards against a stingy Dolphins defense. The loss not only eliminates the 49ers, but guarantees that they will end 2024 with a losing record. Keep in mind that many pre-season forecasts had the 49ers winning the NFC Championship game and representing the NFC in Super Bowl LIX.
There may be no light at the end of the tunnel for 49ers fans just yet, as the team finishes out the season by hosting the Detroit Lions (13-2) in Week 17, and then traveling to take on the Arizona Cardinals (7-8) in Week 18 to finish out the season.
Arizona Cardinals (eliminated)
Despite elimination with two more weeks of football to go in the 2024 NFL regular season, there is no other way to describe the Arizona Cardinals season other than a complete success. This team nimbly rebounding from a 4-13 record in 2024, and has won games this season against some rather formidable foes. But as is often the case with the Cardinals, success does not linger through the latter part of the season.
Many teams find renewed energy and vigor after a mid-season BYE. The Cardinals had the opposite experience. The team entered their Week 11 BYE with a record of 6-4, and holding the upper hand in terms of tie-breakers over the LA Rams due to a head-to-head victory. But much like the San Francisco 49ers, the team is now in a tailspin, losing four of their last five games.
The icing on the cake was losing a must-win game on the road to the lowly Carolina Panthers (2-15). That game, coupled with a Los Angeles Rams victory, eliminated them from the upcoming playoffs. While the outcome of Week 16 is undoubtedly disappointing for the Arizona Cardinals, their improvement over 2024 should leave fans with plenty of optimism for 2025 and beyond.
Panther running back Chubba Hubbard was the difference in that one. He churned out 152 rushing yards on 25 carries, and put up two touchdowns to give the Panthers a thrilling win in overtime. With their eighth loss, the Cardinals now find themselves in a spoiler role to face the Rams in Week 17.
Seattle Seahawks (8-7)
One of the streakier teams in the NFL, the Seattle Seahawks may be a team that simply peaked too soon. What do I mean? The Seahawks roared to a 3-0 record to open the 2024 NFL season, then dropped three consecutive games and five of the next six to fall to a record of 4-5. One of those losses came at the hands of the New York Giants (2-13). The Seahawks regrouped with a Week 10 BYE, winning their next four games and climbing to a record of 8-5.
But a two-game losing streak drops the Seahawks to 8-7, to second place in the NFC West Division, and clinging to only a faint hope of reclaiming the division title from the Rams with two games remaining on the schedule.
The Seahawks are discovering what the other NFC West teams learned earlier in the season, that the NFC North Division teams are very good this year. The Rams ended the year at 1-3 against the NFC North. The Arizona Cardinals ended the season at 1-3 against the NFC North. The San Francisco 49ers ended 2024 with a record of 1-3, with the Detroit Lions (13-2) coming to Levi's Stadium in Week 17. Finally, the Seattle Seahawks are 0-3 against the NFC North, travelling to take on the Chicago Bears in Week 17.
Curiously, a team's record at various points of the season can depend heavily upon the quality of opponents faced over that span of the season.
The Seahawks latest loss was an aerial shootout, with Seahawks QB Geno Smith (31 of 43 for 314 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions) being outgunned by Vikings QB Sam Darnold (22 of 35 for 246 yards and three touchdowns to 0 interceptions).
The Seahawks close out the season by traveling to face the Chicago Bears in Week 17, followed by a trip to Los Angeles, California to face the LA Rams in Week 18.
Los Angeles Rams (9-6)
After dropping four of the first five games on the season, the LA Rams have certainly followed the same script as that of 2023. Namely, the team regrouped over the Week 6 BYE, and has emerged as one of the hottest teams in the NFL ever since. The Rams have roared out to a record of 8-2 since that early BYE, and with the return of starting TE Tyler Higbee, find themselves at their healthiest of 2024.
Amazingly, the Rams could end 2024 with a record as lofty as 11-6. That is incredible given the early season struggles faced by the team. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the team's success in the final two-thirds of the season is the fact that the team is winning in so many different ways. Whether it's a full-fledged offensive shootout, a defensive standoff, capitalizing on the other team's miscues, or simply taking over the game in the final four minutes to score twice for the win, the Rams seem to have no end to the ways they win games.
That's a good thing, and a bad thing. What we know is that the Rams defense has only allowed a total of 29 points to be scored in total of three of the past four games. And in that one game in which the Rams allowed 42 points, the offense kicked in with 44 points to ensure a victory in that game as well.
The Rams boast the 17th-ranked defense in terms of points allowed, surrendering an average of 23.1 points per game. The Rams offense, ironically, comes in as the 18th-ranked offense, scoring just 21.9 points per game. Thankfully, the Rams have a net turnover statistic of +5 so far this season. But the fact that the Rams boast a record of 9-6 despite showing a point differential of -18 points on the season is alarming.
Despite scoring 44 points in Week 14, the Rams offense has averaged 24 points in the past four games. And despite allowing 42 points in Week 14, the Rams defense has allowed an average of less than 18 points per game over the last four games.
Perhaps with TE Tyler Higbee back, the Rams' offense will return to its lofty point-scoring self. And the team is certainly getting hot at the right time of the season. But in the end, the Rams still have plenty of items to address on the punch list if this team expects to compete in the postseason and have success once there.
The Rams must face the Arizona Cardinals (7-8) in Week 17, and close out the season by hosting the Seattle Seahawks (8-7) in Week 18. Conceivably, a Rams victory in Week 17 coupled with a Seahawks loss in Week 17 would give the Rams an opportunity to sit starters in Week 18. And you know that both the Rams players and HC Sean McVay would love to give his players an impromptu BYE week to close out the season.
The Rams have time to trouble-shoot the offense. I know they will do better in Weeks 17 and 18. As always, thanks for reading.
