NFL playoff picture: What does Rams-Seahawks mean for NFC standings in Week 16

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The Rams face the Seahawks in Seattle on Thursday to open Week 15. We break down what the game means for the NFL playoff picture.

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The NFL kicks off Week 16 with the biggest matchup of the week. Thursday Night Football will feature the 11-3 Seattle Seahawks hosting the 11-3 Los Angeles Rams. The winner will hold the No. 1 seed in the NFC West, while the loser will be looking at a wild card slot.

The Rams are coming off a tough but critical 41-34 win over the Lions. It was their second straight win and eighth win in nine games. The Seahawks enter the game off an ugly 18-16 win over the Colts. Philip Rivers came back from retirement to nearly lead Indy to victory, but the Seahawks escaped with a game-winning field goal in the closing seconds.

This is the second game between the Rams and Seahawks. LA won at home in Week 11, holding off Seattle in spite of Matthew Stafford throwing four interceptions. The Rams are a 1.5-point road favorite in the matchup.

NFC West standings

The Rams clinched a playoff berth this past Sunday, claiming the first spot in the NFC. The Seahawks can clinch a playoff berth this week with a win or a Lions loss. Neither team will clinch the NFC West this week, and it is a good bet the division race comes down to Week 18.

The 49ers sit a game back of the Rams and Seahawks. They split the season series with LA and won the first matchup with Seattle. The 49ers and Seahawks close out the season in Week 18, so this TNF game could turn that matchup into a battle for the division. Heading into Week 16, The Athletic’s playoff simulator gives the Rams a 60% chance of clinching the division, the Seahawks a 27% chance, and the 49ers a 13% chance.

The 49ers travel to face the Colts in Week 18.

1. Los Angeles Rams: 11-3
2. Seattle Seahawks: 11-3
3. San Francisco 49ers: 10-4
4. Arizona Cardinals: 3-11 (eliminated)

Overall NFC standings

The NFC West winner is in a strong position to claim the No. 1 seed in the NFC. The playoff simulator gives the Rams a 56% chance, the Seahawks, 26% chance, and the 49ers a 12% chance. For the time-being, the Rams hold the No. 1 seed, the Seahawks sit in fifth place, and the 49ers are in sixth place. The 49ers and Bears face off in Week 17, which will decide that tiebreaker. The Bears do not face the Rams or Seahawks this season, so it will come down to conference record, common games record, or any of the other tiebreakers.

1. Los Angeles Rams (11-3)
2. Chicago Bears (10-4)
3. Philadelphia Eagles (9-5)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7)
5. Seattle Seahawks (11-3)
6. San Francisco 49ers (10-4)
7. Green Bay Packers (9-4-1)
8. Detroit Lions (8-6)
9. Carolina Panthers (7-7)
10. Dallas Cowboys (6-7-1)
11. Minnesota Vikings (6-8) - e
12. Atlanta Falcons (5-9) - e
13. New Orleans Saints (4-10) - e
14. Washington Commanders (4-10) - e
15. Arizona Cardinals (3-11) - e
16. New York Giants (2-12) - e

Tiebreaker implications

This game is huge for the NFC West tiebreaker. A Rams win secures the head-to-head tiebreaker for LA. A Seahawks win splits the series and moves it to divisional record or further down the tiebreaker ladder.

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