The Los Angeles Rams received an early Christmas present from the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday night.

Dallas defeated the Buccaneers 26-24 in prime time, moving the Rams into third place in the NFC playoffs with two games left.

Heading into Monday Night Football between the Packers and Saints, only the Lions, Eagles and Vikings have secured a spot in the playoffs. Green Bay can punch its ticket tonight by beating New Orleans. Detroit has some After breaking Philadelphia’s 10-game winning streak with a last-second touchdown pass from Jayden Daniels, the Commanders had room to breathe. Minnesota has won eight straight and is tied with the Lions in the NFC North. Both teams will face each other in Week 18.

NFC rankings

1 – Lions (13-2)

2 – Eagles (12-3)

3 – Rams (9-6)

4 – Falcons (8-7)

5 – Vikings (13-2)

6 – Packers (10-4)

7 – Commanders (10-5)

On the hunt:

8 – Buccaneers (8-7)

9 – Seahawks (8-7)

Eliminated:

Cowboys (7-8)

Cardinals (7-8)

49ers (6-9) – HAHAHA whiners!!!

Arizona’s loss to the Panthers removed an obstacle in the Rams’ path to the NFC West crown. However, those same Cardinals can play spoilsport and upset an LA team with a four-game winning streak, so the Rams have to be careful. After Seattle’s 27-24 loss to the Vikings, the Rams were one game ahead of the Seahawks. LA’s rival losing two straight home games to NFC contenders doesn’t help its playoff chances, as the Rams have -750 odds to win the division while the Seahawks have +1 odds, according to FanDuel Sportsbook have 500.

Los Angeles ends the 2024 regular season with a two-game homestand with Arizona on deck and then the Seahawks in Week 18. Seattle travels to Chicago to play the Bears on Thursday Night Football before taking on LA in the season finale.

With the final two games of the regular season being played at home, the Rams will have no one to blame but themselves if they fail to win the wide-open NFC West. The 49ers’ collapse paved the way, so they must do everything in their power not to miss the opportunity.