Rams can make big jump in playoff seeding with win over Bucs...

Rams can make big jump in NFC playoff seeding with win vs. Bucs

[theramswire.usatoday.com]

Cameron DaSilva

The Rams and Buccaneers will cap off Week 11 on Monday night with a prime-time showdown between two contenders in the NFC. Just a half-game separates these teams, with the Bucs sitting at 7-3 and the Rams 6-3.

There’s a lot riding on this game in the playoff picture as both squads try to fight for position in a highly competitive conference. Currently, the Rams sit sixth in the NFC, while the Bucs are fifth, trailing the Saints by one game in the South.

A win would vault either team up the standings, but the Rams can make an especially big jump. If they beat the Buccaneers on Monday night, they’ll go from the No. 6 seed as a wild card all the way up to No. 2, leading the NFC West and trailing only the 8-2 Saints. A loss would drop them to the No. 7 seed and into third place in the NFC West.

They currently own tiebreakers over both the Seahawks and Packers, which is why even if all three teams get to 7-3, the Rams would be the No. 2 seed. As of now, Seattle holds the No. 2 seed in the NFC, with the Packers being third.

The Rams have already beaten the Seahawks once, so they have the head-to-head tiebreaker there. They haven’t played the Packers and won’t play them in the regular season, but the Rams are 6-1 against NFC opponents, while the Packers are 5-2. A win on Monday would improve the Rams to 7-1 in the conference, giving them the tiebreaker over Green Bay, too.

If L.A. beats the Bucs, Tampa Bay would drop to the No. 6 seed, the Seahawks would slide to No. 5, and the Packers would remain the third seed. The Cardinals are also squarely in the mix as the No. 7 seed, while the Eagles lead the NFC East with a paltry 3-6-1 record.

If the Saints win out, the Rams can’t overtake them for the No. 1 seed. And New Orleans is 7-1 against the NFC, so Los Angeles has some work to do in order to win that tiebreaker, too. Hypothetically, if the Rams win tonight and beat the 49ers next week, and the Saints lose to the Broncos in Week 12 – which is admittedly highly unlikely – the Rams would take the No. 1 seed.

The top seed in each conference has a bigger advantage in this expanded playoff format, too. With seven teams making the postseason, only the No. 1 seed gets a first-round bye, unlike in recent years. They’ll also get home-field advantage, too, which is a benefit in itself.