Rams’ fans will have to wait anxiously and watch what might unfold over the next 24-48 hours.
After a 16-game schedule it all comes down to this, and is now hurry-up-and-wait for the Rams, who moved within an eye lash of wrapping up the NFC West title on Saturday with a 13-9 win over the Arizona Cardinals in front of 73,051 at SoFi Stadium.
Rookie safety Kamren Kinchens and veteran cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon intercepted passes from Kyler Murray in the fourth quarter as the Rams extended their winning streak to five games and improved to 10-6 on the season.
“We got away with a great effort from our defense,” coach Sean McVay said.
On a night when the 1990s band Sublime performed at halftime, the Rams’ performance and effort on the offensive side of the ball was the complete opposite. Still, they did just enough to squeak by and set up a long weekend of watching and waiting to determine whether the season finale against Geno Smith and the Seattle Seahawks (9-7) will mean anything for either team’s playoff hopes.
The four-point victory over the Cardinals put the Rams in the drivers’ seat to clinch the division before that game at SoFi Stadium is played on either Saturday or Sunday. The NFL will announce the Week 18 schedule after the completion of Week 17 on Monday night.
The Rams, seeking a playoff berth for the sixth time in McVay’s eight seasons at the helm, need a little bit of help from other teams to secure the NFL’s “strength of victory” tiebreaker that would make next weekend’s result against the Seahawks a moot point.
On Saturday, Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals did their part by defeating the Denver Broncos in overtime. Now the Rams must wait to see if three of five teams, the Cleveland Browns, Washington Commanders, Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, and if need be, the San Francisco 49ers on Monday, can win and enable McVay to rest starters next week for the playoffs.
Embed from Getty ImagesMcVay said in his postgame press conference he would keep a close eye on Sunday’s action.
“What I don’t want to do is get ahead,” McVay said when asked if he would be scoreboard watching Sunday. “Because you get emotionally invested in other people’s games — that never has really served me very well.”
Quarterback Matthew Stafford said he would keep tabs, but only after talking with his four daughters about how they want to spend the day.
“And then sitting around watching football doesn’t sound like it’s going to be high on the list for ‘em,” he said. “But I’m sure I’ll keep an eye on some scores.”
The Rams went into Saturday aiming for revenge after the Cardinals’ 41-10 Week 2 rout in the desert.
After a pair of rough road games, failing to register a touchdown in the rain during a victory over the 49ers in Santa Clara, and doing just enough to defeat the New York Jets in frigid New Jersey, the conditions seemed ideal for a breakout performance.
In the first game against the Cardinals, the Rams were without a number of key starters because of injuries and lost more during the matchup. This time they were as close to full strength as you would hope to be this time of year. Plus, for once they an actual homefield advantage, minus boisterous opposing fans. Yet, it was still a struggle to win for the ninth time in 11 games.
Stafford barely completed 50% of his passes with 17 of 32 for 189 yards and receiver Puka Nacua did the heavy lifting and caught 10 passes for 129 yards, but the Rams scored only one touchdown on Kyren Williams’ short run in the second quarter.
Braden Fiske sacked Cardinals quarterback Murray twice, and Kobie Turner and Byron Young each sacked him once.
The Rams led 10-0 at halftime on Williams’ one-yard touchdown run and Joshua Karty’s 53-yard field goal. Murray’s short touchdown pass to tight end Trey McBride midway through the third quarter cut the margin to four, but Rams linebacker Michael Hoecht blocked the extra-point attempt. The Cardinals pulled within a point with a field goal early in the fourth quarter, but Karty’ 25-yard field goal with less than seven minutes to go in the game increased the lead to 13-9.
The Cardinals’ best chance seemingly ended with just over three minutes left when Kinchens picked off a long pass intended for rookie Marvin Harrison Jr.
“I like when the other team kind of throws the ball in the air,” Kinchens said. “I get to show my little receiver skills. So, I’m happy about that.”
After the Rams were forced to punt the ball away, the Cardinals got the ball with a little more than two minutes left. Murray engineered a drive to the Rams’ five-yard line but his pass to McBride bounced off the tight end’s helmet and was intercepted by Witherspoon.
“It’s NFL football,” Witherspoon said, “so I’m used to those moments — one-score games, up four, up three and you’ve got to stand up.”
His plans for Sunday are simple.
“I’ll be watching football like I always do,” he said. “But I think we’ve got business to handle against Seattle.”
If the breaks go the Rams’ way and they clinch, it will not be business as usual.
The Rams have won three straight and 11 of their last 15 over Seattle. The Cardinals finish at home against the 49ers.
