This is a late season match with a lot of subplots.
Game Rams vs Atlanta Falcons Monday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, several of the NFL's closest coaching friends will battle each other for playoff and draft positions, job security and perhaps the player's most valuable prize on the line.
Rams the score is 11-4 and they are crushing defeat in overtime 38-37 from the Seattle Seahawks. The loss knocked the Rams out of first place in the NFC and dropped them to sixth place with two games left.
“It's great because it's an opportunity for us to come back and get an answer,” the star receiver. Puka Nacua said, adding: “This is an opportunity to show that we have improved and learned from this experience.”
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Gary Klein breaks down everything you need to know ahead of Monday night's game between the Rams and Atlanta Falcons.
The Rams will finish their season next Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals at Sophie Stadium.
“We have two weeks left,” coach Sean McVay said. “I love how everyone pushes themselves to the limit every single day. These scars can be your strength if you use them correctly.
“Thanks to this group, I had a strange feeling that this is where we were going.”
The Rams will enter the playoffs as either the No. 5 or No. 6 seed after beating the Seahawks (13-3), and the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday eliminated them from contention for the NFC West title and No. 1 seed.
The final stretch begins with McVay, defensive coordinator Chris Shula and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur meeting with Falcons coach Raheem Morris, the former Rams defensive coordinator who helped them. win Super Bowl LVI.
Falcons offensive coordinator Zach Robinson also coached under McVay.
McVay and Shula described Morris as one of their best friends and mentors.
“I'm pretty sure all of our kids' furniture is from his house because we've been keeping an eye on them,” Shula said last week.
Morris coached the Rams from 2021-23. He told Atlanta reporters last week that the Rams have an “all hands on deck” mentality and that he has tried to implement similar systems.
“We definitely imitated and made fun of a lot of the things they do,” he said.
However, the Rams could make a tough season for Morris even more uncomfortable.
Sean McVay will try to lead the Rams to first place in the NFC.
(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)
The Falcons have won two games in a row but are 6-9 and eliminated from the playoffs. If the Rams beat them on Monday, Morris' future with the Falcons will become more uncertain.
And the Rams could get more than just a potential fifth overall pick.
During this year's draft, as the Rams were considering how they could use the No. 26 pick, the Falcons gave the Rams a 2026 first-round pick so they could draft cornerback James Pierce Jr. This essentially made the Rams the biggest winner in the draft because it gave them two 2026 first-round picks to potentially find a possible replacement for the veteran quarterback. Matthew Stafford.
On the one hand, the deal suited both teams. The Rams selected tight end Terrence Ferguson in the second round, and Pierce totaled 8½ sacks. But every Falcons loss moves the Rams higher in the draft. On Monday, the Rams will have the No. 11 pick and another pick No. 25 or lower.
McVay acknowledged the Rams' improved draft capital but said it won't affect their approach to the game.
“I might even think about it in the future,” he said.
Meanwhile, Stafford isn't playing like a quarterback ready to retire or be replaced. The 17-year pro, already ranked in the top 10 in several all-time passing categories, leads the NFL with 40 touchdown passes.
He's the frontrunner to win his first MVP award, and a standout performance at Monday night's showcase could seal it.
Will Stafford's situation affect McVay's game?
“If you say, 'Am I going to make a decision that I don't think is best for our team in this situation?' No, I would never do that,” McVay said, adding: “It’s good that he’s in this conversation because he’s playing great. This did not influence any decisions.
“When he does his thing, it's good for our football team, and all he has to do is continue to play the best he can. Usually these things have a way of working themselves out if necessary.”
