Having coughed up control of the division and conference, it’s a very narrow path back to the top of the NFC West.

LA needs to get to 13-4 and the Rams need Seattle and San Francisco to lose at least one more time, each.

If either the Seahawks (in Carolina) or the 49ers (hosting Chicago on a short rest) stumble, then the rival that falters needs to bounce back and win the Week 18 meeting between them in Santa Clara. If they both trip up Sunday, the coast is clear for LA.

For the Rams to ascend back to the top of the NFC, they’ll need the Bears to lose, as well (either this week or in the finale versus Detroit).

There’s also the possibility that Seattle and San Francisco both win Sunday, and that the Rams kick off in Atlanta with no hope of defending the West and their only incentive to finish as the NFC’s fifth seed.

Here’s a non-comprehensive look at the shenanigans that had to occur for the Rams to lose a game against arguably the NFL’s toughest schedule:

➡️ Philadelphia – Two blocked field goals on the Rams final two drives.

➡️ San Francisco – A first down fumble inside the Niners 25-yard line. Another lost fumble on their one-yard line in overtime. Multiple drops. An extra point blocked.

➡️ Carolina – A three-turnover game from the MVP front-runner who had thrown 28 straight touchdowns since his most recent interception. Three explosive touchdowns surrendered by the Rams defense on third-and-long (once) or fourth down (twice), and generally allowing the Panthers to go 10-of-18 on those money downs.

➡️ Seattle – Three eight-point possessions by the Seahawks. An absurd illegal man downfield on the first play following an injury to Kevin Dotson (that led to a suspension). Yielding a give-up run for 17 yards on third-and-16. A delayed review and overturn heretofore unearthed in the NFL rulebook.

None of which excuses any of those losses.

That’s not my purpose. My only aim is to justify why the Rams can and should be immensely confident in their 11-4 record, especially if and when they face any of the four opponents who have defeated them in January, and especially if Davante Adams and Quentin Lake are ready to roll.

This is for another day, but the playoffs are shaping up to be a Rams Revenge Tour.

If you missed this week’s Coach McVay Show finale, I still think it’s worth your time to get a sense of the intensity the Rams are going to bring to this closing stretch.

“You know what I said to myself?” Sean McVay shared with the team (and in turn, with us) when they reconvened on Monday. “What a cool thing to do something that takes you to the highest of highs… A lot of people, they yearn to find something that lights (them up) or takes (them) to some of the tough moments that this game does when you’re doing it with the people you love and care about.”

The perfect summation of why I love being adjacent to Rams football.