The Los Angeles Rams (7-6) just scored a huge win over the Buffalo Bills last Sunday. The Bills had won seven in a row when they came to Los Angeles, and sported a 10-2 record, which was tied for second best in the league. Indeed, they appeared to possibly even be the hottest team in the league.
Yet the Rams took a sizable lead in the third quarter and appeared to have the game well in hand. But the Bills managed to show a bit of why they seemed to have one of the best teams in the league as they mounted a comeback. They more than made a game of it, and appeared to have a real shot at pulling off an impressive comeback win in the final quarter.
To their credit, however, the Rams held on. They had some struggles, yet they managed to escape with a narrow 44-42 win. It was not only the highest scoring contest so far this NFL season, but it was a huge and truly necessary win for the Rams, who managed to obtain their first winning record this season.
As big as that win was for Los Angeles, the 49ers win over the Bears last Sunday was just as important for San Francisco. That win snapped a three game skid, and prevented them from losing more ground to the other teams in the NFC in the playoff hunt, and particularly for the NFC West division title. The Cardinals lost to the Seahawks, which means that the Niners are behind Seattle by two games, and trail the Rams in the division by a single game.
That makes this divisional showdown between the two teams very important. Both teams are trying not to fall further behind the Seahawks, who have pulled off four straight wins. At 8-5, they are looking good. But they also have a tough game coming up this weekend when they host the Packers. So the team that comes out of this game with a win may be able to have real hopes that the Packers can pull off a win in Seattle.
Now as for these two teams, this should be a good one. Until recently, the 49ers had almost entirely owned this series. They had won 9 out of 10 meetings. Now that said, it desrves to be mentioned that the one Rams win during that span was a big one, being the NFC Championship Game following the 2022-23 season, which allowed the Rams to punch their ticket into the Super Bowl, which they ultimately won. Other than that, however, San Francisco had owned this series, at least until recently. Los Angeles beat them in the regular season finale last season, although it should be noted that the game meant nothing to the 49ers, who had already locked up the top seed in the NFC, while it meant everything for the Rams, who needed that win to reach the postseason. That said, the win by the Rams earlier this season was an important one, as they got a 27-24 win against their longtime tormentors which, at least for the time being, is the different between the two teams in the standings.
However, the Rams barely won those two games which I just mentioned. And the 49ers still are a solid team, and likely better - even quite a bit better - than their record would indicate. They were competitive in most of the games that they lost this season, particularly earlier in the year. And with home field advantage, as well as a sense of urgency, it makes it difficult to pick against them.
My pick: San Francisco 49ers
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