The Los Angeles Rams are trying to become only the 16th team since 1970 to start the season 1-4 and make the playoffs. Winning four of their previous five games before Sunday Night’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles gave the Rams hope of accomplishing this feat.
However, their two losses over the last two weeks show why only 15 of the 253 teams that have started 1-4 since 1970 went on to make the playoffs. It takes teams so much energy and exertion just to crawl out of a 1-4 hole that it is nearly impossible to get ahead in the standings and secure a playoff spot.
Still, with the Arizona Cardinals losing to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, the NFC West race is wide open. Rams head coach Sean McVay will not allow his team to let the loss derail the season.
“Yeah, exactly that,” McVay said. “You get yourself up off the mat. You look at the things that we can control, you look at the things that we can correct, and you just go back to work. I don't know any other way to go about it other than to say, ‘Tonight, it didn't go down for us, and there are a lot of reasons for it.’ You do give Philadelphia the credit that they deserve. But we're going to come back swinging. I know that much.”
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford felt similarly. However, the veteran quarterback has already begun focusing on the team the Rams will face next.
“You got to look at the tape of this one, figure out where to go from there as far as what you did wrong,” Stafford said. “How can you correct those things? Not going to let these guys beat us twice. This is the NFL. You play the game long enough, you’re going to have unfortunate nights. You’re going to have nights where you don’t play as good as you possibly can. You don’t ever want them to get out of hand like they did but you got to move on. Got to move onto the next one and give your full attention to the next team.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/rams/ as Why the NFC West is Still There for the Rams' Taking.