For Rams, Playoff Picture Is Out of Focus : After 4 Straight Defeats, Their Postseason Chances Hang by a Thread
A month ago, the Rams were smiling prettily for a playoff picture that had them in center frame with a record of 7-2.
Today, you need a zoom lens to find them.
“Playoffs be damned!” Coach John Robinson said Monday. “We’re just trying to get our respect back.”
Four straight losses have a way of clouding the best-laid plans. So the playoffs are someone else’s mathematical nightmare, a series of chicken-scratch formulas of what-ifs, maybes, and probably-nots.
And remember, there are no formulas for a 7-9 season, the result of a 4-game losing streak stretched out to 7.
“My main concern is getting our act together and beating Chicago,” Robinson said of next Monday night’s opponent. “I don’t care about anything else. I’m not worried about long term. We’ve just got to get our butts out there and beat Chicago.”
But what of those fans who cling to frayed playoff hopes? Are they not owed a complicated explanation of the impossible dream?
Well, no and yes. No, the Rams have not been eliminated from the playoffs and yes, it is next to impossible to sort out all the possible combinations.
It’s all predicated loosely on the Rams winning their remaining games with Chicago, Atlanta and San Francisco to finish at 10-6.
Question: Could the Rams still win the division title outright?
Answer: Yes, if Jupiter aligns with Mars and the Rams somehow end up in a first-place tie with either the New Orleans Saints or San Francisco 49ers at 10-6.
If it’s the Saints, the Rams get the playoff berth based on a better record in the division, 4-2 vs. 3-3. If it’s the 49ers, it would come down to the fifth tiebreaker, best net points in division games. The Rams have a 41-point lead on the 49ers through 13 games.
Q: What about a 3-way tie for first?
A: The 49ers win the title, based on the best percentage in games played among the tying teams.
Q: What about that crazy wild-card scene?
A: Again, based on a 10-6 finish, the Rams could win ties with San Francisco (net points), Minnesota (better record vs. common opponents) and the New York Giants (head to head) but are losers in 2-way ties with Phoenix or Philadelphia, both teams having defeated the Rams this year.
Q: How about explaining the possibilities of a 9-7 Ram finish?
A: Please call the league office.
Again, reality is a factor in all these variables, especially those involving the Rams, a team that couldn’t handle the San Diego Chargers the Sunday before last.
Anyway, the final 3 weeks shape up like this:
New Orleans finishes with Minnesota, San Francisco and Atlanta. The 49ers close the season against Atlanta, the Saints and the Rams.
“You talk about playoff hopes and these things and that,” Robinson said. “But ultimately, when you’re failing, you get down to some bare issues. It’s your personal pride and pride in your group. I think that’s where we are.”
Ram Notes
These Rams, desperate as they are, will etch a spot in franchise history when tailback Greg Bell reaches the 1,000-yard rushing mark this season. Bell needs just 40 yards in 3 games to get there. When he does, it will mark the first time the team has had a 3,000-yard passer (Jim Everett), a 1,000-yard receiver (Henry Ellard) and a 1,000-yard rusher in the same season. . . . Retired guard Dennis Harrah stopped by Rams Park on Monday. He’s in town filling out workman’s compensation papers for a football-related back injury.
The Rams, who need all the help they can get, are catching the Bears at a decent time. All-Pro defensive end Richard Dent is out for at least 6 weeks after breaking his ankle in the second half of Sunday’s 16-0 win over Green Bay. Quarterback Mike Tomczak, filling in for injured starter Jim McMahon, separated his left shoulder in the game and is out this week. According to Coach Mike Ditka, Jim Harbaugh will start against the Rams with McMahon returning only as a backup. . . . Ram linebacker Larry Kelm’s interception Sunday was his first of the season. . . . The Rams still lead the NFL with 44 sacks, though they’ve had just 8 in the last 7 games. . . . The team’s 484 yards against Denver was the most since its 501-yard day against Atlanta.
