Two ways Rams can clinch a playoff berth in Week 17 after losing to Seahawks

In the last two weeks, the job has been simple for the Rams: win and you’re in. All they needed to do was beat the Jets or Seahawks, and they’d have punched their ticket to the postseason. But after losing to both teams, the Rams are still searching for that playoff berth with one week to go.

Odds are still good that L.A. will be one of the seven NFC teams to make the postseason, but it wasn’t expected to come down to Week 17. Yet, here we are.

Heading into the season finale, the Rams are once again in a scenario where if they win, they’re in. They’re hosting the Cardinals, a team they’ve beaten seven times in a row, making this a very winnable game for L.A.

There’s also another scenario where the Rams could get in even if they lose to Arizona. Here are the two paths to the postseason:

Because the Seahawks won on Sunday, the Packers will still have a first-round bye to play for in Week 17 against Chicago – which is good news for the Rams. There was some concern that they might rest their starters in the finale, thus making it easier for the Bears to win. But that won’t be the case.

If the Rams do miss the playoffs, they’ll have no one to blame but themselves for an embarrassing late-season collapse in the final three weeks.