The Rams are guaranteed only one thing come this postseason, their first playoff game will be at home. The NFC North has been an absolute gauntlet this season with Minnesota and Detroit facing off on Sunday Night for the division title and the number one seed.
The Rams should hope to avoid both the Vikings and the Lions along with the Packers as all three teams have been firing on all cylinders to close out their season. The Commanders on the other hand have shown their flaws towards the end of the season, needing very specific circumstances to occur in order to beat teams that they should've easily put away.
Unlike the QBs in the NFC North, Jayden Daniels has no playoff experience. In recent history, rookie QBs in the playoffs do not fare well on the road. CJ Stroud, Skylar Thompson and Mac Jones are a few examples that serve as a reminder on how difficult it is to win in the NFL.
In fact, since 2014, only two rookie quarterbacks have won a playoff game. Stroud who beat the Browns last season in Houston and Brock Purdy who took San Francisco to the NFC Championship Game. Washington does not have the roster that Purdy had with the Niners and Stroud played a clearly inferior Browns team.
The Commanders also do not have as proficient of a rushing attack as their other teams eligible to play the Rams. Unlike Washington, all three NFC North teams have a 1,000-yard running back. The Rams are also accustomed to defending against Kliff Kingsbury's Air Raid offense as he is the former head coach of the Cardinals.
Rams DC Chris Shula was on the sidelines, helping Raheem Morris scheme up a defense that stifled Kingsbury in the 2022 NFL Wild Card round as the Rams went on to win 34-11, intercepting Kyler Murray in his endzone for a pick-six. Shula knows exactly what he needs to do to confuse Daniels who will already be under fire by a dominant defensive line.
For the team in general, it could be a moment for redemption. Commanders General Manager Adam Peters was a member of the 49ers from 2017-2023, engaging in hotly contested battles with the Rams throughout McVay's tenure. Peters also arranged the departures of Kamren Curl and Emmanuel Forbes.
For the team and for the former Commanders players now in Los Angeles, there's an opportunity to make a statement against several people who have either tried to knock off the Rams in the past or made moves that could've derailed their careers.
Yes, the NFL is a business but it's also a cutthroat arena full of men trying to earn a livelihood. Reputations and contracts are built off of playoff performances and for the Rams, the Commanders represent the best change to advance while getting a little bit of revenge.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/rams/ as Rams Should Wish To Play Commanders in Wild Card Round.