There are no truly easy paths through the playoffs because every team that makes it to the postseason is obviously capable of winning.
But the Los Angeles Rams present a special kind of challenge for whomever may find themselves matched up against quarterback Matthew Stafford and coach Sean McVay. The Detroit Lions almost found out the hard way last January that the Rams' impressive offense and solid coaching are something that must be navigated for a full 60 minutes. They almost found out again in Week 1 where it took overtime and significant Los Angeles injuries to prevent Stafford from stealing one at his former workplace.
The Buffalo Bills did find out just how robustly impressive the whole Rams experience can be on Sunday. Josh Allen accounted for six touchdowns himself but it wasn't enough. Los Angeles now sits at 7-6 and in control of its playoff destiny against a reasonable remaining schedule. So people are waking up on Monday morning and realizing that no other team should want to play the Rams.
Which is the point Dan Orlovsky made on Get Up.
"When they're healthy, they can win the whole thing," Orlovsky said. "Yesterday they healthy. And when they're healthy, the can beat anyone on their schedule. If you're Detroit or if you're Philadelphia, you better pray that this offense doesn't get into the playoffs."
"When [the Rams] are healthy, they can win the whole thing. ... If you're Detroit or if you're Philadelphia, you better pray that this offense doesn't get into the playoffs."
— First Take (@FirstTake) December 9, 2024
—@danorlovsky7 pic.twitter.com/Q8HFh0o8pa
It's a fair take. If the Rams don't win the NFC West, however, they'll likely have to win three road games just to win the Super Bowl, which figures to be much more difficult than the path Detroit or Philadelphia may have. And if those two top seeds remain there, they may find themselves actually rooting for Los Angeles to knock the other one out. They should be careful what they wish for.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Dan Orlovsky Identifies New NFC Team Capable of Winning Super Bowl.