Will Rams rest starters in Week 18? Sean McVay gave a clear answer

Sean McVay was visibly frustrated after the Los Angeles Rams’ loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the second straight week they lost a game they should have won. He’s seen his team let the No. 1 seed and NFC West title slip away in a span of two weeks, falling into a wild-card spot in the NFC playoff picture.

The Rams are locked into the fifth or sixth seed in the conference, no matter what happens in Week 18, and it’s possible they’ll have nothing to play for if the San Francisco 49ers win on Saturday night. That would lock the Rams into the No. 6 seed before even taking the field on Sunday afternoon.

Advertisement

As a result, McVay was asked whether his starters will play in the finale or rest against the Cardinals.

“Oh, we’re playing. They’re playing,” he said definitively.

He was then asked whether the result of Monday night’s game impacted that decision, but he says the Rams were going to play their starters regardless. For a coach who has ignored seeding for rest in the last two season finales, that seems hard to believe.

He just wants to see his team play better before the postseason begins.

“They were going to play anyways,” he said. “We need to play.  We need to play better football. I don’t know what the consequences are as far as those different types of things, but we’ve got to play better.”

Advertisement

The Rams’ loss to the Seahawks was a matter of choking in the fourth quarter, along with a couple of game-changing plays allowed on special teams and defense. This loss to the Falcons is a different story.

The Rams had 11 days to prepare for a 6-9 team and dug themselves a 21-0 hole in the first half. The offense struggled with three turnovers and the defense gave up 195 yards to Bijan Robinson, so there are errors to correct on both sides.

The Cardinals shouldn’t put up much of a fight in the finale but the Rams must play much better in that game before entering the wild-card round. Otherwise, they’re in danger of going one-and-done.

This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams' Sean McVay reveals whether starters will play in Week 18