After beating the Cardinals on Saturday, the Rams clinched the NFC West on Sunday through the strength of victory tie-breaker. Los Angeles has now won five-straight games and will host a home playoff game in January.
On Saturday, the Rams had another outstanding defensive showing that featured a blocked extra point and a game-sealing interception. Meanwhile, wide receiver Puka Nacua's 129 receiving yards led the way on offense in an otherwise-sluggish offensive game for both teams.
Here are five interesting stats from the Rams' 13-9 win over Arizona on Saturday night:
Ahkello Witherspoon's interception added 55.2% to the Rams' win probability, via nflverse data, making it the most impactful defensive play in the NFL this season
With 42 seconds left in the game, the Cardinals had a first-and-goal at the five-yard line. They trailed by four points and had a 61.3% chance to win. Then, quarterback Kyler Murray's pass was batted into the air and Witherspoon went full extension for the pick. After that, the Cardinals had just a 6.1% chance of winning and the Rams took over on the one-yard line.
That play was the single most impactful defensive play of the NFL season with regard to a team's chances of winning. The second-most was also a fourth-quarter Rams interception, from Kam Kinchens against Seattle in Week 9. This Rams defense just continues to make plays when they need them most.
For the first time since 1975, the Rams allowed fewer than 10 points in three-straight games
The last team to achieve this feat was the 2021 Patriots, helmed by one of the greatest defensive minds in NFL history in then-head coach Bill Belichick. This defense is commanded by first-year defensive coordinator Chris Shula.
After giving up 42 points in a win over Buffalo, Shula and the defense have rebounded in an unthinkable fashion. Over the past three games, Los Angeles has accumulated eight sacks and three interceptions while only allowing two touchdowns.
The Rams did not allow a sack for the fourth-straight game, tied for the longest streak in franchise history
The last time the Rams accomplished that was 2013, when they were still in St. Louis. Stafford was pressured on just 24.2% of dropbacks on Saturday, via Next Gen Stats, the eighth-lowest mark of the week, as the offensive line continued their dominant run of late.
Puka Nacua's 73 yards after the catch was the second-most for a wide receiver in Week 17 and his second-most of the season
Screens and short routes are Nacua's bread and butter. On Saturday, 107 of Nacua's 129 receiving yards came on those routes. He racked up significant yards after the catch and fought through contact, as he always does.
Nacua is now 10 yards away from his second-straight 1,000-yard season, despite missing five-and-a-half games.
Braden Fiske, Byron Young and Jared Verse all had five or more pressures on Saturday, via Next Gen Stats, the only trio to do so in Week 17
It's the second time this season that three or more Rams pass rushers have generated at least five pressures each, the first being Week 9 against Seattle. Fiske had two sacks, his third such game this season and a Rams rookie record, while Young and Kobie Turner each added one.
With the Cardinals missing both of their starting offensive tackles, the Rams' pass rush wreaked havoc on Kyler Murray, keeping him bottled up in the pocket for the majority of his dropbacks.
