How the NFC West shapes up following Rams’ loss to Titans
It was a peculiar week of football in the NFL. Once we saw the Buffalo Bills lose to the Jacksonville Jaguars, and the Dallas Cowboys fall to the Denver Broncos, we all should have known that the Los Angeles Rams would lay an egg on Sunday Night Football versus the Tennessee Titans.
From the moment the game began, the Rams looked out of sorts on offense, allowing back-to-back sacks for the first time this season on the first drive of the game. Coming into Sunday’s contest, Stafford had been sacked only seven times, and he only had four interceptions.
Stafford would be sacked five times, also throwing two inexcusable interceptions to aid the Titans in their 28-16 victory in Week 9. So how does this disappointing loss affect the Rams in their quest to win the NFC West?
With the loss on Sunday night, Los Angeles falls to 7-2 on the season, putting them a game behind the Arizona Cardinals in the division. Even though Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins were sidelined in Week 9, the Cardinals were able to handily defeat the San Francisco 49ers, who are now 3-5 through nine weeks.
Seeing that the Cardinals already hold the tie-breaker over the Rams after beating them in Week 4, the Rams losing to the Titans could be detrimental in their efforts to emerge atop the division.
The Seattle Seahawks are also 3-5 like the 49ers, but they are expected to get Russell Wilson back under center soon. The good news for Los Angeles is that it gets a chance to make sure San Francisco doesn’t make a late-season push by facing them in Week 10 on Monday Night Football.
A win over the 49ers next week would give the Rams a sizable lead as the second-place team in the NFC West. But with the Cardinals extending their record to 8-1 in Week 9, Los Angeles almost certainly has to beat Arizona in their next meeting in Week 14.
Arizona’s remaining nine games come against teams with a combined record of 27-32, including two matchups with Seattle. On the other hand, Los Angeles’ remaining opponents boast a combined record of 32-26, which includes a showdown on the road with the Baltimore Ravens in January.
We all knew that the NFC West was going to be an absolute gauntlet this season. And with every game being meaningful in the long run, the Rams could have cost themselves an opportunity to win the division with their ugly loss to the Titans in Week 9.
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