It’s a late-season matchup with subplots galore.
The Rams’ game against the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium pits several of the NFL’s closest coaching friends against each other with playoff and draft positions, job security and possibly the most valuable player award on the line.
The Rams are 11-4 and coming off a crushing 38-37 overtime defeat by the Seattle Seahawks. The loss knocked the Rams out of the No. 1 seed in the NFC and dropped them to No. 6 with two games left.
“It’s exciting because this is the opportunity for us to come back and have a response,” star receiver Puka Nacua said, adding, “This is the opportunity to show that we’ve improved and we learned from that experience.”
The Rams finish the season next Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium.
“We have two weeks left in it,” coach Sean McVay said. “I love the way everybody has maximized every single day. Those scars can be your strength if you use them appropriately.
“With this group I got a funny feeling that that’s exactly where we’re headed.”
The Rams will be on the road for the playoffs as either the No. 5 or 6 seed after victories by the Seahawks (13-3) and the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday eliminated them from contention for the NFC West title and the No. 1 seed.
The final stretch begins with McVay, defensive coordinator Chris Shula and offensive coordinator Mike Lafleur facing off against Falcons coach Raheem Morris, the former Rams defensive coordinator who helped them win Super Bowl LVI.
Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson also coached under McVay.
McVay and Shula both have described Morris as one of their best friends and mentors.
“I’m pretty sure all our kids’ furniture comes from his house because we followed them,” Shula said last week.
Morris coached with the Rams from 2021 to 2023. He told Atlanta reporters last week that the Rams have “an all hands on deck” mentality and that he has attempted to implement similar systems.
“We’ve definitely mimicked and mocked a lot of things that they do,” he said.
The Rams, however, could make a tough season for Morris even more uncomfortable.
The Falcons have won two games in a row but are 6-9 and out of the playoffs. If the Rams beat them Monday, Morris’ future with the Falcons becomes more uncertain.
And the Rams have more to gain than just a potential No. 5 seed.
During this year’s draft, as the Rams contemplated how they might leverage the No. 26 pick, the Falcons gave the Rams their 2026 first-round pick so they could draft edge rusher James Pearce Jr. That essentially made the Rams the biggest winner of the draft because it gave them two 2026 first-round picks to possibly shop for an eventual replacement for veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford.
On one level, the deal worked out for both teams. The Rams selected tight end Terrance Ferguson in the second round, and Pearce has come on to record 8½ sacks. But each Falcons defeat moves the Rams higher in the draft. Going into Monday, the Rams have the No. 11 pick and another pick at No. 25 or lower.
McVay acknowledged the Rams’ improved draft capital but said it would have no effect on how they approach the game.
“Way down the line for me to even think about that stuff,” he said.
Meanwhile, Stafford is not playing like a quarterback ready to retire or be replaced. The 17th-year pro, already among the top 10 in several all-time passing categories, leads the NFL with 40 touchdown passes.
He is a front-runner to win his first most valuable player award, and an outstanding performance in a Monday night showcase could seal it.
Will Stafford’s situation influence McVay’s play-calling?
“If you’re saying, ‘Am I going to make a decision that I think would not be best for our team in that situation?’ No, I would never do that,” McVay said, adding, “The good thing is he’s in that conversation because he’s played great. That hasn’t affected any of the decision-making.
“When he’s doing his thing, that’s good for our football team and that’s all he has to do is continue to play like he’s capable of. Usually, those things have a way of working themselves out if they’re supposed to.”
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