WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – Rams head coach Sean McVay was adamant in his Monday Night Football postgame press conference that the team would play its healthy starters in Week 18.
However, Saturday night’s game between the Seahawks and the 49ers has seeding implications for the Rams: A Seahawks win means the opportunity play for the No. 5 seed Sunday; a 49ers win means being locked into the No. 6 seed, and in turn knowing their playoff seeding well before Sunday’s 1:25 p.m. pacific time kickoff against the Cardinals at SoFi Stadium.
Would the circumstances of that game change McVay’s approach, even after what he said Monday night?
Not resting healthy starters is a departure from previous years; as recently last season, he rested Matthew Stafford and others even though seeding remained undetermined.
However, playing them could help Los Angeles’ offense and defense get back on track.
In his postgame press conference, McVay said the team “couldn’t get into a rhythm offensively” and gave up “a bunch” of explosives in that loss to the Falcons. He didn’t know what the circumstances of Week 18 were, but made it clear the starters were playing regardless of the stakes. Those plans will not change.
“Oh we’re playing,” McVay said Monday night. “Yeah, they’re playing. They were gonna play anyways. We need to play. We need to play better football.”
The No. 5 seed will face the NFC South winner (the Buccaneers or Panthers); the No. 6 seed will take on either the Bears or Eagles.