The Los Angeles Rams downed the Seattle Seahawks in Week 10, 36-31, but it came at a significant cost…

Injuries

The Rams will be without WR Cooper Kupp for the rest of the season after Head Coach Sean McVay confirmed today that Kupp has torn his ACL. That likely means increased opportunities for WR Josh Reynolds and the tight ends, but it’s just going to be tough to replace Coop. He’s been damn good in his second year, and he’ll certainly be missed.

Performance Issues

More to come on this, but the developing incapabilities on defense (this week focusing on the running game) are a burgeoning issue of concern. What’s perhaps more interesting is the strange dichotomy of the Rams’ defense not being particularly good and the angst that draws out of Rams fans (ESPECIALLY in real-time) and the fact that’s it not one of the NFL’s lesser defenses. It’s actually middle-of-the-pack.

Which is to say that bad defense is the new normal in the NFL. Figuring out how we adjust our perceptions of that in general is going to be worth paying attention to, but doing so for the Rams specifically is going to require significant effort.

Standings

Now having swept the Seahawks, the Rams are 9-1 and in prime position in the NFC let alone the NFC West:

The Rams are now on the verge of clinching the NFC West. In mid-November. What a world.

Of course that means that the NFC playoff race is heating up in earnest:

As of next week (if I can remember), it’ll be time to start chopping some teams off. Yes, it’s probably fair time to do so anyway for the Arizona Cardinals, San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants, but hey. Here’s your chance to say goodbye tonight with the Giants and 49ers in riveting action on Monday Night Football.

Coming up from the bottom, last night’s game between the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles was absolutely huge thanks to the Cowboys’ road win. Both remain in the mix in the NFC even with the Washington NFC East Leaders atop the NFC East. The NFC South is, predictably, a hot mess. While the 8-1 New Orleans Saints lead things, the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons are firmly in the race. The NFC North meanwhile is perhaps more interesting thanks to the Chicago Bears leading the way.

No surprise then that next week will be absolutely fascinating with the Green Bay Packers heading to Seattle while the Falcons host the Cowboys, the Eagles are at the Saints, and the Minnesota Vikings head to Chicago.

Not sure anyone will be paying attention to our game against some opponent in some place I can’t remember.

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