Best and Worst Matchup for Rams in Wild Card Round With Opponent TBD in Week 18

The Los Angeles Rams clinched the NFC West title over the weekend. After winning their fifth straight game and ninth in their last eleven, the Rams impressively secured a playoff spot over the Seahawks for the fourth time in five years.

The only thing left to be decided is who the Rams will face in the first round of the playoffs. Los Angeles could finish either third or fourth seed in the NFC. If they finish No. 3, they will face either the Packers or the Commanders, and if they finish No. 4, they will face the Lions or the Vikings.

Which one of these matchups will be the best and the worst for the Rams?

Best Matchup: Washington Commanders

The likeliest scenario for the Rams in the first round is hosting the Commanders. According to ESPN's FPI projected bracket, the Rams will face the Commanders as they are given a 66.5% chance at the third seed and Washington a 74.6% chance at the sixth seed.

The Commanders are a very good team, especially offensively as they rank fifth in the league. However, they are not as dangerous as their 11-5 record suggests.

Out of their 11 wins, only one of Commanders' wins came against a team with a winning record and that was the Eagles in Week 16 after Jalen Hurts suffered a concussion in the first half. Every playoff team they faced so far this season has beaten them otherwise.

The Commanders exceeded expectations in Dan Quinn's first year in charge but they are a poor defensive team. They rank bottom-five in overall defense and run defense per PFF, making it difficult to imagine them stopping the dynamic Rams offense.

Worst Matchup: Detroit Lions

All eyes will be on the NFC North clash between the Lions and the Vikings in Week 18. Both teams are 14-2 and the winner takes the top NFC seed and the first-round bye. The loser, on the other hand, falls to fifth place, potentially facing the Rams if they lose to Seattle on Sunday.

The Rams would still have home-field advantage in that scenario but will almost certainly be underdogs, especially if they face the Lions.

The Lions and the Rams have a history with each other thanks to the Jared Goff-Matthew Stafford trade. At this point, it's safe to say that both teams turned out to be winners of that deal.

Detroit defeated the Rams in the NFC Wild Card game last season and beat them earlier this season in overtime. The Lions offense is simply too dynamic for the Rams' middle-of-the-pack unit to keep up with. There is a reason they have been the team to beat all season and the Rams should desperately try to avoid facing the Lions again.

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