Why the Rams Are Still Among the Top Contenders in Week 17

The Los Angeles Rams had one bad week last week. The Rams went from the No. 1 seed in the NFC all the way down to the No. 6 seed. That goes to show how great the NFC West has been this season. The Rams do not control their seeding for the last two games.

The Rams are moving forward and not looking back on what was a terrible week for them. The Rams will be looking to get back on the winning side of things on Monday Night Football against the Atlanta Falcons.

The Rams are good one winning the next game after coming off a loss. This is something the Rams want to do, and the only thing they can do to keep pressure on their other two NFC West rivals, the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers.

The Rams are going to be back home for their Week 17 matchup and will be looking to avoid the upset. Head coach Sean McVay will have these guys ready and firing on all cylinders. It is just what this team does, and they will be back.

Dec 18, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay looks on before the game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

Even with dropping all the way to the No. 6 seed in the NFC, the Rams are still the team to beat and are still one of the top contenders to win it all. The Rams are one of the teams that have been the best for most of the season. They are also one of the few teams that travel well and could go on the road in the playoffs and win those games. The Rams are already in, and if they have to go on the road to reach the Super Bowl, that is what they will do.

Top contenders in NFL

Neil Greenberg of The Washington Post gave his top contenders in the NFL. He is going with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Rams, and the Seahawks.

Jacksonville went to Denver and won against one of the league’s best defenses. Offensively, quarterback Trevor Lawrence was decisive and efficient when it counted, throwing three touchdown passes and getting the ball out quickly against a dominant pass rush.

Dec 7, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Defensively, the Jaguars forced negative plays on 18 percent of the snaps, consistently knocking the Broncos off schedule. This Jaguars team isn’t a fluke — combine their strong record, high-level wins and sustainable efficiency, and they have the clearest case as the NFL’s top team.

Seattle, meanwhile, didn’t jump Los Angeles in the ratings after its head-to-head win because the ratings care more about how a game was played than who won. On a snap-by-snap basis, the Rams were more efficient. The Seahawks won because of high-variance moments, including a long punt return touchdown, a missed Los Angeles field goal and a coin-flip overtime conversion.

Dec 18, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay speaks in a press conference after a game against the Seattle Seahawks at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

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