In the New Year, the Los Angeles Rams are resolved to right a few wrongs.
They're ready to launch their playoff revenge tour, and Sunday's regular season finale will be full-go. Starters will dress, with an intent to ring in 2026 on a winning note, with a sweep of the Arizona Cardinals.
Because if this weekend breaks their way, who knows what the Wild Card round might bring?
It may not be the last time we see the Rams at SoFi Stadium this season.
How The West Will Be Won
The winner of Seattle at San Francisco on Saturday conquers the NFC West, will be the NFC's top seed, and will have earned homefield advantage throughout the playoffs with a first-round bye.
Like LA, the loser of that clash will hit the road for Wild Card weekend, as either the five or six seed.
It's the second year in a row that the best division in the league faces this stark contrast in fortunes going into the finale. The Seahawks and Niners have combined for 25 wins. Last year it was Detroit and Minnesota (with 28 combined victories) deciding the NFC North in Week 18.
To be the five-seed, the Rams need Seattle to beat San Francisco, then must take care of the Cardinals. If that transpires, they'll be off to either Carolina or Tampa.
Otherwise, they'll fall to sixth and fly to Philadelphia or Chicago.
For the Birds
The Cardinals have lost eight straight games, including a dismantling at the hands of the Rams in early December. Their 13 defeats are currently tied for the most losses in a season in franchise history.
If last week taught us anything, it's that no opponent can be taken lightly, but you'll have to forgive us for spending most of this week's Between the Horns discussing other, more urgent topics. With D'Marco Farr and Stu Jackson, we hit on New Year's resolutions for the Rams, special teams improvement, and whether or not Matthew Stafford can still win MVP.
Seeds of Change
In lockstep with the five or six seed, the Rams will finish second or third in the NFC West. That impacts three games on the 2026 schedule – what we call "like-place finisher" games.
Based on this weekend's outcomes, LA will host Miami or Buffalo out of the AFC East. A home date against Detroit, Minnesota, or Green Bay is also on the table. And once the dust settles, we'll know if the Rams will travel to Atlanta, Tampa Bay, or Carolina to round out the 2026 slate.
Notes and Quotes
In terms of special teams EPA, the Rams performance in Atlanta (6.18) doubled their prior season-high (3.09 in London).
The Rams have the top scoring offense (30.1 points per game) in the NFL. The last time they finished as scoring champions was 2017 (Sean McVay's debut season). Going into Week 18, LA has an 11-point lead on the Seahawks and they're 19 clear of the Lions.
Also from NFL Research, this is the ninth season in franchise history in which the Rams have averaged at least 30 points per game, the most such seasons in league history. Furthermore, no other franchise has even seven seasons.
Stafford is coming off an error-prone loss, but still managed his 14th outing this season with multiple touchdown passes. With two more on Sunday, he can tie Hall of Famers Dan Marino (1984 MVP) and Peyton Manning (2013 MVP) for most such games in a season.
"I'm just trying to put as good of a season together as I possibly can," Stafford said this week when asked about his MVP candidacy. "Our last opportunity to do that is coming up this weekend, and I'm excited about that chance. I would love to play perfect in every game, but I'm not a robot and it happens."
The list of players with seasons of 40-plus touchdowns and eight-or-fewer interceptions is a short one: Lamar Jackson (2024), Aaron Rodgers (2011, 2016, 2020) and Tom Brady (2007).
Cardinals tight end Trey McBride is tied with Puka Nacua for the NFL lead with 119 receptions. He's already the first TE in NFL history with multiple seasons of at least 110 receptions, and is trying to become the first player at his position to lead the NFL in receptions. The last was HOF Tony Gonzalez in 2004 (102). In Week 14, McBride opened the game with back-to-back catches of 27 and 18 yards to set up an Arizona touchdown, but finished with only three grabs for 13 yards the rest of the day.
The Rams rookie tight end isn't that prolific, but he's definitely on the ascent. Plus, LA might get Tyler Higbee back Sunday after he returned to practice this week.
As for Puka, notice he's the only receiver on this graphic.
Kam Curl is within two tackles of surpassing John Johnson (118) for the most by a safety in a season in Rams history.
Each of the Rams losses in calendar year 2025 were by one-possession: With starters resting in the 2024 finale versus Seattle, then at Philadelphia in the 2024 postseason, at Philadelphia again in Week 3, San Francisco in overtime in Week 5, at Carolina on Thanksgiving weekend, in overtime at Seattle in another Thursday Night gut-punch, and once more in prime time last Monday in Atlanta.
Nailbiters or otherwise, here's to front-loading five wins early in 2026.
