Rams playoff schedule: Wild Card Round opponent, dates and times
The Los Angeles Rams got off to an incredibly slow start to the 2024 season. Not only did they lose four of their first five games, but both Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua were dealing with injuries. In what was supposed to be a very competitive NFC West division, their path to the playoffs was sure to be difficult.
Fortunately, after their slow start, the Rams immediately caught fire and ended their season by winning nine of their last 12 games to not only make the playoffs, but win the NFC West. They played so well, in fact, that they had clinched their division early enough to rest several key starters in their final game of the regular season.
By winning their division, the Rams clinched the No. 4 seed in the NFC and guaranteed themselves at least one home playoff game. The only questions now are who will the Rams welcome to SoFi Stadium and when will their Wild Card game be played? Below, we'll take a look at what we know now to answer both of those questions.
Who will the Rams play in the Wild Card Round?
The Rams do not know who they will play in the Wild Card Round as of this writing. The answer as to who they will play will be revealed in the final Sunday Night Football game of the regular season. The loser between the Detroit Lions and the Minnesota Vikings will be the team that the Rams will have to face in the Wild Card Round. That game will be played either on Saturday, Jan. 11; Sunday, Jan. 12; or Monday, Jan. 13.
Rams playoff schedule: Dates, times for every round
Here's a look at the full playoff schedule.
Date and Time | Playoff Round | Opponent | TV Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
Sat. Jan. 11 or Sun. Jan. 12 or Mon. Jan. 13 | Wild Card Round | Detroit Lions OR Minnesota Vikings | TBD |
Sat. Jan. 18 or Sun. Jan. 19 | Divisional Round | TBD | TBD |
Sun. Jan. 26 | NFC Championship Game | TBD | TBD |
Sun. Feb. 9 | Super Bowl LIX | AFC Champion | TBD |
The Rams getting rest for their starters ahead of what they hope will be a deep playoff run is undoubtedly a plus, but since they lost their final game of the regular season, they'll now have to face either a Detroit Lions or Minnesota Vikings team that will have lost just three games all regular season. That's their reward for winning the NFC West. The Rams will have to eliminate at least one of these teams if they want to make a run to the Super Bowl.
As for who the Rams should want to play between Detroit and Minnesota, it's hard to even make that determination. The Lions are banged up, but they also have the most offensive firepower in the NFL. Sam Darnold might be inexperienced in the playoffs, but he has arguably the best receiver in football to throw to and an elite defense on the other side of the ball. The tiebreaker might be the fact that the Rams lost to the Lions to kick off their season but beat the Vikings later on.
What makes this even tougher for the Rams is even if they take care of business against one of those NFC North powerhouses, the other one might be waiting for them in the Divisional Round, depending on how the Wild Card Round shapes up. If all of the home teams win, the Rams would have to travel to Detroit or Minnesota for the NFC Divisional Round.
The Rams making a run to the Super Bowl with their path being as hard as it is would be ridiculously impressive. For a team that has battled a good amount of adversity this season, that result would be cool to see, even if it is extremely unlikely.
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