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The Rams’ Braden Fiske records one of his two first-half sacks of Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
Hold on a minute.
Actually, make that at least 24 hours. Maybe even 48.
After 16 games it’s now hurry-up-and-wait for the Rams, who moved closer to clinching the NFC West title on Saturday with a 13-9 victory over the Arizona Cardinals in front of 73,051 at SoFi Stadium.
Kyren Williams rushed for a touchdown, Puka Nacua amassed 129 yards receiving and safety Kamren Kinchens and veteran cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon had fourth-quarter interceptions as the Rams extended their winning streak to five games and improved to 10-6.
On a night when the 1990s band Sublime performed at halftime, the Rams’ performance was anything but sublime. Still, it was enough to set up a long weekend of watching and waiting to determine whether the season finale against the Seattle Seahawks (9-7) will mean anything for either team’s playoff hopes.
The victory over the Cardinals positioned the Rams to clinch the division before that game at SoFi Stadium is played on Saturday or Sunday. The NFL will announce the Week 18 schedule after the completion of Week 17.
The Rams, seeking a playoff berth for the sixth time in coach Sean McVay’s eight seasons, need help from other teams to secure the NFL’s “strength of victory” tiebreaker that would make next weekend’s result against the Seahawks moot.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford scrambles for a first down against the Cardinals in the first half. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
On Saturday, the Cincinnati Bengals did their part by defeating the Denver Broncos in overtime. Now the Rams must wait to see if three of five teams — the Cleveland Browns, Washington Commanders, Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings on Sunday, and if need be the San Francisco 49ers on Monday — can win and enable McVay to rest starters for the playoffs.
The Rams went into Saturday’s game aiming to avenge the Cardinals’…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/rams-hold-defeat-cardinals-move-044610156.html
Author : LA Times
Publish date : 2024-12-29 04:46:00
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