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NFC playoff picture: Where the Rams stand entering Week 13

cameron dasilva
·2 min read

The Rams have looked like a playoff team all season, going 7-4 in their first 11 games. But after going winless in their last three games, they’re slipping closer to the edge of the playoff picture in the NFC.

Entering Week 13, they have just a one-game lead on the sixth-seeded 49ers and a two-game cushion over the Vikings, who are seventh in the conference. It would take a massive collapse for the Rams to miss the playoffs but with a difficult schedule coming up, nothing is guaranteed.

Here’s an updated look at the playoff picture through Week 12, showing where the Rams stand right now.

NFC standings

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

  1. Cardinals (9-2)

  2. Packers (9-3)

  3. Buccaneers (8-3)

  4. Cowboys (7-4)

  5. Rams (7-4)

  6. 49ers (6-5)

  7. Washington (5-6)

The Cardinals maintain a half-game lead over the Packers for the top seed in the NFC, which comes with a first-round bye. The Rams are two games back of the Cardinals, with one more matchup against Arizona still to come. At this point, it’s unlikely the Rams will catch the rest of the pack for the No. 1 seed.

Playoff matchups if the season ended today

(AP Photo/Ashley Landis )

1. Cardinals: first-round bye

2. Packers vs. 7. Washington

3. Buccaneers vs. 6. 49ers

4. Cowboys vs. 5. Rams

It would be hard to complain about this draw for the Rams. The Cowboys started hot but have run into some trouble as of late, and getting to face them in the first round would be better than taking on the Packers or Cardinals – or even the Bucs, who the Rams already beat but they have Tom Brady and a loaded roster.

Earning a top-four seed would be huge, especially if the Rams can climb as high as No. 2 where they would get to host a team that might finish below .500.

Up next

Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

  1. Cardinals: at Bears (4-7)

  2. Packers: vs. Bears (4-7) in Week 14

  3. Buccaneers: at Falcons (5-6)

  4. Cowboys: at Saints (5-6)

  5. Rams: vs. Jaguars (2-9)

  6. 49ers: at Seahawks (3-8)

  7. Washington: at Raiders (6-5)

The Rams have the easiest matchup in Week 13, hosting the Jaguars at SoFi Stadium. Jacksonville is one of the worst teams in the league and even though it pulled off an upset against the Bills, this is a game the Rams absolutely must win. None of their final five games are as easy as this one.

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