The Los Angeles Rams let a 16-point lead slip away against the Seattle Seahawks. After the crushing loss, Matthew Stafford delivered a blunt warning to the rest of the NFL about what’s coming next.
Week 16 opened with a stunning matchup in which the Seahawks stormed back to defeat the Rams in overtime. While the loss was shocking, Stafford made it clear he doesn’t believe one game defines who the Rams truly are.
“Go play. Where we playing, who we playing, put the ball down and go play,” Stafford said postgame about losing the No. 1 seed. “That’s the attitude this team has had since Day One, it’s the attitude we’ll have until the last game we play this year. Respect everybody, fear nobody, go play.”
Not all hope is lost for the Rams
The Rams didn’t just suffer a painful Week 16 defeat — they also relinquished the No. 1 seed in the NFC and lost control of the NFC West to Seattle, making the road ahead far more complicated.
With only two games remaining, Los Angeles has no margin for error if it hopes to reclaim either spot. However, the Rams no longer control their own destiny and depend on what the Seahawks do.
They will face the Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals to close the regular season. While the Rams are favored in both matchups, they would still need the Seahawks to stumble.
Seattle, meanwhile, faces the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers — a tougher schedule on paper. Both opponents remain in playoff contention, making those games critical in the race for the division.
A playoff rematch could be looming
Both the Seahawks and Rams have already secured spots in the 2026 playoffs. Final seeding remains uncertain, but the possibility of a postseason rematch is very real after what we saw in Week 16.
At the moment, Seattle holds the No. 1 seed while Los Angeles sits at No. 5 in the NFC playoff picture. If the brackets align, fans could see the two rivals meet again — this time with postseason survival on the line.
SURVEY Who will be the No. 1 seed in the NFC?
Who will be the No. 1 seed in the NFC?
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