Coach Sean McVay and the Los Angeles Rams will return to the postseason for the third consecutive year, but they did themselves a disservice by losing to the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, Dec. 18.

The Rams fell to 11-4 on the season and gave up control of the NFC West as a result of the loss to Seattle, which has won five consecutive games.

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Both division rivals entered the “Thursday Night Football” game with identical 11-3 records.

Los Angeles clinched a spot in the playoffs on Dec. 14 following a 41-34 victory over the Detroit Lions and was on pace to earn the NFC’s top seed and a first-round bye.

Who could Rams play in NFL playoffs?

The Rams would be the NFC’s fifth seed and play the fourth-seeded Carolina Panthers on the road in a wild-card matchup.

Rams’ remaining schedule

Week 17: at Atlanta Falcons, Monday, Dec. 29 at 8:15 p.m. ET (5:15 p.m. PT)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rams playoff picture: LA slides out of top spot