The Los Angeles Rams may have already impacted this season’s playoff outcomes for multiple teams before even taking a snap in their upcoming playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday, Jan. 13.
The Rams fell to the Seattle Seahawks this past Sunday 30-25. Although the Rams did not have to come out of this game victorious, having gone into the game with the NFC West clinched, losing this game may have caused more playoff implications than perhaps the team thought.
Logically, the Rams’ opted behind the reasoning that sitting key players, such as Quarterback Matthew Stafford, would eliminate the possibility of a catastrophic injury negatively impacting next week’s playoff game. The Rams followed this logic when they decided to start Jimmy Garoppolo this past Sunday.
While Garoppolo could hardly be to blame for this week’s loss, completing 27 of 41 passes for 334 yards, the Rams may have come out of the game with a better playoff seed had they treated this game as a must-win. 
The loss now puts the Rams at the number four seed and also a Monday night football slot against the Vikings. Should the Rams have won, the team would have found itself playing against the Washington Commanders on Sunday night, Jan. 12.
Could the Rams Pull Off Another Win Against the Vikings Despite Their NFC North Struggles?
While the Rams handled the Vikings 30-20 the last time they met on Oct. 24, the Rams have struggled overall against NFC North opponents this season. When going up against the conference, the Rams lost three out of four times.
In the losses to the Bears, Lions, and Packers, Stafford generally outperformed the opposing quarterback. For instance, versus the Lions Stafford had 100 yards over Jared Goff, 67 yards over Caleb Williams versus the Bears, and versus the Packers he had 36 yards over Jordan Love.
The comparison between quarterbacks, of course, does not tell the full story of why the Rams lost those games, however, it can suggest a looming concern the Rams might have going into the playoffs.
The Rams Must Step it Up Defensively to Survive In The Playoffs
The Rams are heading into the playoffs perhaps as the worst team defensively in the post-season. They have allowed 353.1 yards per game, which in comparison to the rest of the league puts them lower than any other playoff team when it comes to this metric. Those teams lower than the Rams in yards per game? Those teams are the Bears, the Cowboys, the Colts, the Saints, the Jaguars, and the Panthers.
The Rams have also averaged 22.7 points per game this season. The games that were lost against the NFC North all had their opponent scoring more than 22.7 points. When the Rams beat the Vikings, they only allowed them to score 20 points.
Resting Stafford and other key players this past Sunday will certainly accomplish Sean McVay’s strategy of playing with an optimally healthy roster heading into the playoffs. The conservative decision that ultimately comes from a Super Bowl champion makes sense in theory.
The Rams’ defense will need to play quite well, however, for McVay’s vision to play out. A solid performance from Stafford and his offensive weapons may not be enough next Monday to proceed onto the Divisional round of playoffs.
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