49ers-Colts could impact Rams’ seeding in NFC

The Rams should be rooting hard for the Colts to beat the 49ers

The Los Angeles Rams don’t play again until next Monday, but tonight’s game between the San Francisco 49ers and Indianapolis Colts could have a real impact on their playoff outlook.

Currently, the Rams are the No. 5 seed in the NFC, which would set them up for a wild-card game against the winner of the NFC South. That wouldn’t be the worst-case scenario after losing the No. 1 seed, but falling any further in the standings would make the Rams’ path to the Super Bowl much more difficult.

And it starts with tonight’s game.

If the 49ers beat the Colts, the Rams will fall to No. 6 in the NFC. The Eagles are currently the No. 3 seed, which means the Rams would have to travel to Philadelphia in the first round of the playoffs.

There are still two weeks remaining, but the Rams would much rather face the Panthers or Buccaneers on the road than the Eagles in January, as they did last year. Tonight’s game between the 49ers and Colts impacts the Rams’ NFC West odds, too.

According to The Athletic, the Rams will have a 37% chance to win the West if the Colts win, or a 19% chance if the 49ers win. That’s because the 49ers own the tiebreaker over the Rams based on their winning percentage in the division, so the Rams would have to finish one game ahead of San Francisco in order to be a higher seed.

If the 49ers win out, they take the NFC West and the No. 1 seed. They still have the Bears and Seahawks on their schedule, so their fate is very much in their hands. The same can’t be said about the Rams, who need help.

It’ll take a lot for the Rams to drop to No. 7 in the conference considering they have a 1.5-game lead on the Packers, who are 9-5-1 with two weeks remaining. The Rams would need to lose their last two games and the Packers would need to win out in order for Green Bay to overtake Los Angeles.

The Rams will benefit from having a soft schedule to finish the year, especially compared to the 49ers’ and Seahawks’. But unless one of those teams slips up, the Rams winning out won’t mean much.