Giants standing between Rams and playoff spot
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J — A year after having one of the most disappointing seasons in NFL history, the Los Angeles Rams are on the verge of returning to the playoffs.
The key is the 2021 Super Bowl champions need to take a big step now or else things will get dicey.
The Rams (8-7) can clinch a playoff berth Sunday by beating the Giants (5-10) at MetLife Stadium, and getting a little help with either a loss by Seattle (8-7) at home against Pittsburgh (8-7) or a tie between Green Bay and Minnesota (8-7).
It has been an unexpected run. Los Angeles was 3-6 going into its bye week. It is 5-1 since, with the only setback being an overtime loss to the NFLleading Ravens (12-3) in Baltimore.
It’s certainly not the same team that went 5-12 last season in becoming the 17th Super Bowl champion to miss the playoffs in the ensuing season.
“I love the way that these guys have come in and I like the consistency that I’ve seen throughout the course of the year,” coach Sean McVay said. “But I think we have really started to play better football, more quality football, more complementary.”
If the Rams slip, the playoffs might be in jeopardy. They close the regular season at San Francisco against the NFC West champion 49ers (11-4). The Giants, who made the playoffs last season in Brian Daboll’s first year as coach, were eliminated from contention Monday in a 33-25 loss to the Eagles in Philadelphia.
Daboll said Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has been outstanding since the bye week.
“He’s one of the top quarterbacks in the league, been that way for a long time,” Daboll said. “Playing good team football.”
Only three defensive players in the NFL have played every down for their team this season. The Giants have two of them in inside linebacker Bobby Okereke and safety Xavier McKinney, who both had 10 tackles Monday. Kamren Curl of Washington is the other.
Okereke leads the Giants with 132 tackles and he’s the only player with
When: Sunday, 1 p.m. Where: MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, N.J.
TV: FOX-23
130-plus tackles, nine tackles for loss and nine passes defended this season. McKinney ranks sixth among defensive backs with a career-high 104 tackles. He had two interceptions in the last meeting.
The Giants are 29th in the NFL against the run, and Los Angeles’ Kyren Williams is a problem for even the best run defenses.
The elusive, speedy second-year pro leads the NFL with 96.1 yards rushing per game, and he has five 100-yard performances in his last seven games. He already has the Rams’ first 1,000-yard rushing season since Todd Gurley in 2018, and he’s only the second 1,000-yard rushing teammate of Stafford’s entire career.
RENTON, Wash. — The Seattle Seahawks placed safety Jamal Adams on injured reserve on Saturday, ending his regular season after he missed the previous two games because of lingering issues with his knee. The move came a day after Adams was ruled out for Sunday’s matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Adams had returned to practice in a limited fashion for two days this week, but he