Why You Shouldn't Count on Another Rams Trap Game

The Los Angeles Rams fumbled a crucial opportunity in Week 13. Had they beaten the Carolina Panthers, they would have taken a lead over the Chicago Bears for the number one seed in the NFC. Instead, they were upset 31-28 on the road.

Earlier in the week, the Bears upset the Philadelphia Eagles, 24-15, to move to 9-3 in the 2025 NFL season, the same record as LA. However, Chicago currently boasts the tiebreaker, with a better mark in conference games.

Not only did the Rams fail to separate themselves from the Bears, but they couldn't capitalize on the Eagles' loss, either. They remain just one game ahead of Philadelphia in the standings. If they finish with the same record as the Eagles, Philly will get the higher seed due to their victory in the Week 3 head-to-head. LA will have to tighten up if it still wants a shot at the first-round bye.

Los Angeles Rams, NFL, Matthew Stafford, Arizona Cardinals — Dec 28, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) throws an incomplete pass as he is pressured by Arizona Cardinals cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting (23) in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Rams expected to bounce back against Cardinals

The good news for the Los Angeles Rams is that their schedule in the home stretch is very manageable. They have two games left against the Detroit Lions and the Seattle Seahawks, but they should be comfortably favored against every other opponent in the remaining slate — the Atlanta Falcons and the Arizona Cardinals twice.

Clearly, that didn't mean anything against the Carolina Panthers, who not only covered their large spread but got the upset outright. Not many are expecting the Rams to fall for two trap games in a row, though. All five editors on NFL.com's panel picked LA to get back in the win column in Glendale, by a 9.4-point average margin of victory. Tom Blair predicted the Rams to take it, 28-19:

If the Rams lose just one more game (Cardinals, Lions, Seahawks, Falcons, Cardinals) and the #Niners beat the Titans, Colts, and Bears…

Week 18: #49ers Vs #Seahawks could be for the NFC WEST & the 1st Seed 👀🍿

Throwback to this moment 🤯🔥⬇️ pic.twitter.com/lz4w0pp6zG
— 49ers & NFL News 24/7 (@49ersSportsTalk) December 1, 2025

"What, are you telling me Matthew Stafford and the high-powered offense will be just enough out of sync to be vulnerable against a less-imposing opponent? Or that the elite defense will be just enough off its game to give a scrappy underdog attack the breathing room to squeak out a shocker?

OK, so all that actually already happened last week against the Panthers. But are you telling me it's going to happen two weeks in a row? I'm aware — after being reminded of this fact in Ali's latest playoff-probability breakdown — that the Cardinals have had the Rams' number lately, beating them by 31 points when these teams faced off in the desert last season."

"The Rams are also, after all, only human, even if they had been seemingly playing at a higher level than that before being upended in Carolina. It wouldn't be all that shocking if Arizona were to put a scare into Sean McVay's group. But it would be shocking enough that I can't really justify calling for anything other than one of the best teams in the league (the Rams are fifth in EPA per play on offense and fourth in EPA per play on defense) to defeat one of the worst (the Cards rank 22nd in EPA per play on offense and defense)."

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