Every game matters in the NFL, but some weeks matter more than others. This is especially true when we get to the middle of the season as playoff seedings start to take shape in the second half of the year.
At the moment, things are going well for the Los Angeles Rams. The team is 5-2, tied atop the NFC West and coming out of their Week 8 bye refreshed and ready to go. L.A. has a solid chance to make the playoffs right now because of all these circumstances.
The Rams have a battle at home against the 1-7 New Orleans Saints on tap, a match many believe L.A. should win handily, considering the Saints’ 2025 resume. Regardless of the perception of the game, the outcome will weigh heavily on the Rams’ playoff chances.
According to NFL analytics expert Sebastian Carl, the outcome of the Rams’ Week 9 game has a 19% playoff probability difference. This means if L.A. wins, they’ll have an 87% chance to make the postseason. If they lose and drop to 5-3, that percentage drops to 68%—still good, but not nearly as high as if they were 6-2. This is based on 50,000 simulations of the remainder of the season.
The Rams are still clearly in the top rung of NFL contenders heading into Week 9, and a loss won’t really change their status as a contender. However, the ripple effects it would have on the rest of the NFC (especially with regards to the NFC West) is what makes Week 9 so volatile for L.A.
And while the Saints haven’t really posed a threat to teams this year, anything can happen on any given Sunday in the NFL.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams’ Week 9 match with Saints can drastically affect team’s playoff chances
Reporting by Tyler Greenawalt, Rams Wire / Rams Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
