Rams try to take ‘important step’ by beating Vikings

First they mislaid 3 games successful a row. Next they won 3 games successful a row. Now the Rams person 3 games near to determine wherever they’re going.

For the archetypal clip this season, the Rams (10-4) are successful presumption to clinch a spot successful the playoffs with a triumph erstwhile they look the Minnesota Vikings (7-7) connected Sunday astatine U.S. Bank Stadium successful Minneapolis.

The Rams’ task got a small harder erstwhile they placed near tackle Andrew Whitworth connected the COVID-19 reserve database Saturday earlier facing 1 of the league’s starring walk rushes.

A triumph oregon necktie against the Vikings, oregon a triumph oregon necktie by some the Philadelphia Eagles and New Orleans Saints this week, would guarantee the Rams of astatine slightest a chaotic card.

Then they could acceptable their sights connected winning the NFC West and avoiding having to play a first-round playoff crippled connected the roadworthy against a part champion.

But it starts with Sunday’s game.

“I deliberation it’s different important measurement connected our travel to wherever we privation to go,” Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey said of the accidental to beryllium the 3rd NFC squad to publication their spot successful the postseason.

Don’t expect a champagne solemnisation successful the locker country if the Rams instrumentality that measurement successful Minnesota.

With a amended than .500 grounds guaranteed, they’ve already helped Sean McVay to necktie the Rams coaching grounds for consecutive winning seasons with George Allen (1966-70) and Chuck Knox (1973-77).

McVay has already been to the playoffs 3 times successful his archetypal 4 seasons, the archetypal Rams manager to bash that since Mike Martz (four times successful 5 years, 2000-04) successful the St. Louis days.

McVay’s Rams person adjacent been to a Super Bowl, losing to the New England Patriots aft the 2018 season.

With a extremity of winning the Super Bowl erstwhile it’s played astatine SoFi Stadium connected Feb. 13, the Rams are improbable to beryllium excessively thrilled by clinching a playoff spot.

“I deliberation being capable to get our 11th triumph is thing we’d beryllium encouraged about,” McVay said Friday. “If that (clinching) ends up coming with that, that is simply a affirmative thing. You bash ever privation to springiness yourself an accidental to play aft those 17 games.

“We privation to conscionable proceed to get better, instrumentality it a time astatine a time. That is decidedly thing that we’d beryllium arrogant of. But we cognize that’s not the extremity goal.”

The intermediate goal, winning the division, mightiness necessitate the Rams going 3-0 the remainder of the regular play by beating the Vikings, Baltimore Ravens connected the roadworthy and San Francisco 49ers astatine home.

The Rams and Cardinals person identical records, and if it stays that mode Arizona would instrumentality the rubric connected tiebreakers involving the teams’ wins and losses wrong the part and conference.

Rams backmost Matthew Stafford said helium isn’t keeping way of immoderate of this, to the constituent wherever helium claimed not to cognize that his squad makes the playoffs if it wins 1 much game.

“We’re conscionable trying to spell retired determination and triumph a game,” Stafford said. “And past they’re going to springiness america different 1 connected the schedule, and we’re going to spell effort and triumph that 1 too. So, that’s our approach. Pretty businesslike astir here.”

That even-keel benignant mightiness person helped the Rams crook an 0-3 November into a 3-0 December truthful far.

Linebacker Von Miller said the temper was the aforesaid during the winning and losing streaks.

“I deliberation everybody benignant of jumped the weapon a small spot erstwhile we were losing, but we had the aforesaid mentality erstwhile we were losing, the aforesaid mentality erstwhile we were winning,” said Miller, who won a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos.

“That’s the motion of a bully team. I’m excited astir this team. I’m excited astir wherever we’re going.”

The Rams shouldn’t expect immoderate of their 3 remaining opponents to marque it easy, due to the fact that each 3 are portion of battles royal for last wild-card spots successful their conferences.

The Vikings are successful the seventh and last NFC playoff spot aft beating the Pittsburgh Steelers and Chicago Bears the past 2 weeks.

They’re a hard squad to read, with 4 wins and six losses decided by 7 points oregon fewer.

Quarterback Kirk Cousins, who isn’t sacked oregon intercepted often, and Pro Bowl receiver Justin Jefferson, the NFL person successful yards per interaction (14.3), volition contiguous a situation to the Rams’ defense. But Pro Bowl moving backmost Dalvin Cook is connected the COVID-19 reserve list, a stroke to a Vikings squad that ranks eighth successful crushed yards.

The Vikings defense, which leads the league with 44 sacks, volition effort to support Stafford from picking retired league-leading receiver Cooper Kupp.

It has been a beauteous bully week for the Rams.

• Kupp, Ramsey, antiaircraft tackle Aaron Donald and kicker Matt Gay were named Pro Bowl starters, the astir Rams to marque it since their 2018 Super Bowl season.

• Right tackle Rob Havenstein, choky extremity Tyler Higbee and information Jordan Fuller were cleared to look the Vikings.

That near the Rams without a starter connected the COVID-19 reserve database earlier Whitworth went connected it Saturday. Whitworth’s No. 1 backup, Joe Noteboom, remained connected the COVID list. Bobby Evans filled successful for Havenstein connected the close side, and rookie Alaric Jackson is the adjacent tackle connected the extent chart.

• Running backmost Cam Akers, initially thought mislaid for the play erstwhile helium tore an Achilles tendon successful July, returned to signifier this week and was activated Saturday from injured reserve. The second-year subordinate is not traveling with the squad to Minneapolis.

What amended mode to headdress it disconnected than to clinch a playoff spot? It’s lone a step. But it’s a large one.