Ranking Rams’ potential 1st round matchups, from easiest to toughest…

Ranking the Rams' potential 1st-round matchups, from easiest to toughest

[theramswire.usatoday.com]

Cameron DaSilva



The Los Angeles Rams don’t yet know who they’ll face in the first round of the playoffs, but the list of potential opponents is not very long. Because the Rams are guaranteed to be the No. 6 or 7 seed depending on how Week 18 goes, there are only three teams they could possibly face in the wild-card round: the Eagles, Lions or Cowboys.

The Rams can only face the Eagles as the No. 7 seed, but there are scenarios where they could face either the Cowboys or Lions as the sixth or seventh seed. All the different possible outcomes are laid out here.

While Sean McVay and the Rams don’t have a complete say in who they face, they can influence the outcome by either playing to win on Sunday or resting starters and potentially losing to the 49ers.

So who should the Rams prefer to face? The answer is pretty clear, but the other two options aren’t great.

Philadelphia Eagles


(AP Photo/Gregory Bull)
Of all the teams that have clinched a playoff berth, the Eagles are probably playing the worst football. They’ve lost four of their last five games and while the schedule has been tough in the second half of the season, there’s no excuse for losing to the Cardinals and the Seahawks like the Eagles did.

They barely got by the Giants, too, winning by just eight points in Week 16. This does not look like the Super Bowl team from last season and better yet, the Rams played them tight earlier in the year.

If there’s one team the Rams should want to face in the first round, it’s the Eagles. They’re the worst of Los Angeles’ three potential opponents.

Detroit Lions


Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
The Lions are a very good team. They’re 11-5 this season and should have beaten the Cowboys if not for a bizarre officiating error on their two-point attempt late in the game. They’re certainly not a team anyone should want to face, especially if you can’t get pressure on Jared Goff.

That being said, the Lions are vulnerable, especially against the pass. The Rams’ wide receivers would have an advantage over Detroit’s secondary and Matthew Stafford would likely be able to capitalize with a big performance like the one Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb had.

Obviously, there would be endless storylines in this matchup, too. Jared Goff against Sean McVay and the Rams. Matthew Stafford against the team he spent 12 years with. It would be a blast to watch.

Dallas Cowboys


(Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
The Cowboys have been a different team at home and on the road this season. At home, they’re 8-0 and averaging nearly 40 points per game. On the road, they’re just 3-5. Unfortunately for the Rams, this game would be in Dallas, where the Cowboys would have a huge home-field advantage.

Not only that, but the Cowboys present some tough challenges for the Rams. Their pass rush, led by Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence, is top-notch. The secondary creates a ton of turnovers, with DaRon Bland returning interceptions for an NFL-record five touchdowns.

CeeDee Lamb would be a matchup nightmare, and Brandin Cooks has the speed to win downfield against any of the Rams’ outside corners. And when healthy, Dallas’ offensive line is very good.

The Cowboys steamrolled the Rams earlier this season, 43-20, but that was a game in which Matthew Stafford got hurt. Nine of those points were scored by Dallas’ defense and special teams, too. It would likely be much closer the second time around, but the Rams shouldn’t want to go to Dallas in Round 1.