The Los Angeles Rams picked up an enormous win within the NFC playoff race on Thursday night time, beating the San Francisco 49ers by a 12-6 margin.
It was the precise reverse recreation from the Rams’ win over Buffalo per week in the past after they discovered themselves in a back-and-forth scoring fest with the Buffalo Payments, however the end result remains to be the identical within the standings.
Listed below are 4 takeaways from Thursday’s recreation.
1. Rams hold tempo in NFC playoff race
The Rams usually are not in any place to care about model factors proper now. They simply must hold successful video games, and that’s precisely what they did right here. The win improves them to 8-6, pulls them to inside a half recreation of Seattle for the highest spot within the NFC West and improves their possibilities for a possible wild-card spot in the event that they have been to fail to catch Seattle.
The Rams, by the way in which, host Seattle in Week 18 in a recreation that could possibly be a win-or-go-home matchup.
After beginning the season 1-4, the Rams have gone 7-2 of their previous 9 video games with wins over Minnesota, Seattle, Buffalo and now San Francisco. They’re one of many hottest groups within the league and one which no one needs to see within the playoffs.
In the event that they merely win out, they may win the NFC West.
Their remaining three video games are in opposition to the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals and Seahawks at house. That’s definitely an attainable objective.
2. The 49ers are cooked
Blame the accidents in order for you — and it could be truthful — however there has merely been one thing lacking from this 49ers staff all season. Now their playoff chances are high fairly gone.
They have been already dealing with an uphill battle and entered the night time with solely a 9% probability of constructing the playoffs.
With Thursday’s loss, these odds dropped down to only 0.1%.
It’s a massively disappointing season for a staff that was within the Tremendous Bowl a yr in the past and entered the marketing campaign with what was broadly thought to be some of the gifted rosters within the league.
It’s beginning to appear to be perhaps they missed their probability for a hoop with this core group of gamers.
3. Deebo Samuel had a horrible night time
Huge receiver Deebo Samuel was mad this week about not getting the soccer, making a now-deleted social media put up about his lack of passes that turned a serious speaking level all week.
The 49ers appeared to exit of their approach in an effort to get him the soccer on Thursday. It didn’t work.
Samuel caught simply three of the seven passes thrown his approach for less than 16 yards, whereas additionally being flagged for a false begin penalty early within the recreation. The worst play of the night time for him, nonetheless, was a brutal drop on a wide-open cross that might haven’t solely given the 49ers a primary down, however doubtlessly a landing if Samuel had been capable of maintain onto the soccer.
