After their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night, all hope seems lost for the Los Angeles Rams. They are 5-6 and have lost two of their last three games, but there is a silver lining.
The Rams are still just one game out of first place in the NFC West, which makes them very likely for a playoff spot. NFL Network's Rich Eisen hasn't ruled them out as a playoff team yet and actually believes the Rams are on the verge of being on fire.
Eisen predicted the NFC playoff picture, expecting Los Angeles to win five of its final six games and clinch the division title. He believes they will beat the Saints, lose to the Bills and then win their final four games – three of them against division rivals.
“I think the Rams win in New Orleans this week, I think they lose at home to Buffalo and I think they win,” Eisen said. “I think they're winning, starting with a big win in San Francisco. They host the Jets in New York and win both games against division rivals at home. They're 10-7, they win the West, and they're the team you don't want to face in the playoffs. They make the playoffs, I think they win the West, and I can’t believe I can say that based on what I just saw against the Eagles.”
While Eisen said he's “concerned about their O-line,” he loves the way the pass rush looks.
“They can put pressure on the quarterback and if they do that, the back end can survive,” he said.
The Saints are a very beatable team for the Rams, but it's an away game against a team that's coming off a bye. They then face the Bills at home, which is by far the toughest game left on the schedule. After that there are the 49ers, Jets, Cardinals and Seahawks.
It's not out of the realm of possibility that the Rams fall behind at 5-1 like they did last year, but the path to the playoffs is still riddled with hurdles. It starts with beating the Saints on Sunday, which gets them back to .500 at 6-6.