WOODLAND HILLS, Ca. As the Los Angeles Rams look to put their defeat to the Carolina Panthers behind them, the Arizona Cardinals await and in what is expected to be an emotional return to Pheonix, a must-win contest looms in the distance.
The Rams are set to visit State Farm Stadium for the first time since the Cardinals hosted the Rams for the 2025 Wild Card Round as SoFi Stadium was deemed uninhabitable due to air quality concerns caused by the Palisades Fires.
While the emotions of the game are set to be a narrative leading up to kickoff, once the game begins, all the emotions will mean nothing as the facts become clear. Against a Cardinals team with nothing to play for, Arizona represents a great threat to the Rams’ ambitions of retaining their NFC West title.
The Reality of the Situation
The Rams currently hold the number two seed in the NFC and if they win out, they will be NFC West champions and there’s a good shot they’ll retake the number one seed. While the Rams are not looking ahead, if they defeat the Cardinals, that will set up a massive game at home against Detroit.
Jan 14, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff (16) and Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) greet each other after a 2024 NFC wild card game at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images
Detroit is still in the mix for both the NFC North and a Wild Card spot but it’s quickly slipping away from them so not only do they have a division rival looking to play spoiler, there’s another massive opponent who has a deep history with Los Angeles a week away.
On top of that, the Rams have a road matchup against the Seattle Seahawks the week after hosting the Lions.
If the Rams win, everything is okay but if the Rams lose, it’s time to sound the alarm.
The Scenario if the Rams Lose
The Rams have a record of 9-3. A loss puts them at 9-4. If the other playoff teams win on Sunday, the Rams will have a near-impossible task on attempting to reclaim the number one seed as not only would Chicago own the tiebreaker assuming they win out but the Eagles come back into play for seeding, as they have four losses and they own the tiebreaker over the Rams.
Nov 16, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks kicker Jason Myers (5) reacts after missing a field goal in the final second of the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
On top of that, the Rams would drop one game below Seattle, losing control of the NFC West. That would force a three-way tie with San Francisco, potentially dropping the Rams to seventh in the standings, setting up a game against Detroit that could mean the Rams dropping out of playoff contention if they lose two straight.
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