Kobie TurnerEzra Shaw/Getty Images
Before we go any farther, let’s be clear—the Rams’ 12-6 win over what’s left of the San Francisco 49ers was a Thursday night game. The weather played a part, but both offenses were…bad.
Still, the path to the postseason often features games just like this—contests where teams have to find a way to gut out a victory despite less-than-ideal circumstances.
Maybe last week’s wild shootout took something out of the Rams. Outside running back Kyren Williams plowing forward all night and one big catch from wide receiver Puka Nacua, the Rams offense was stuck in the Levi’s Stadium mud. But they still found a way to gut out a divisional win on the road—their seventh victory in their last nine games.
These Rams look eerily similar to last year’s team that started slow, finished hot, won 10 games and gave the Lions all they could handle in the postseason. And that should terrify the rest of the NFC.
The Rams are battle-tested—many of the team’s core players have Super Bowl rings. The offense has no shortage of skill-position talent. The offensive line isn’t great, but now that it’s healthy it’s light-years better than early in the season. And young defensive contributors like tackle Kobie Turner speak to how well general manager Les Snead has done with the limited draft capital he has had in recent years.
There’s also the matter of the Super Bowl champion quarterback and one of the best offensive minds in the game in head coach Sean McVay.
The Rams aren’t a threat to usurp Detroit or Philadelphia as the NFC’s top seed. But they are also a team the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers should want no part of on Wild Card weekend.
