JUST IN: NFL insider reveals Rams will have key advantage over Giants in Week 17

The NFC playoff picture is starting to take form. The Los Angeles Rams defeated the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football in Week 16 to assist the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take over first place in the NFC South. In Week 17, the Los Angeles Rams will go to New York to face the Giants, and they will have one significant advantage over the “big blue.”

At this stage in the NFL season, rest is scarce. Several significant Rams players have been injured throughout the 17-game marathon, including Cooper Kupp, Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua, and Kyrie Williams. They now enjoy a “mini-bye” following their Thursday night game against the Saints. Meanwhile, the Giants play the Eagles on Christmas Day in Philadelphia. Los Angeles will have four days to recover and prepare for their vital journey to New York.

The Rams’ schedule has put them at a disadvantage because they have four games after a bye week. In such games, LA has a 1-3 record. At the very least, the odds have shifted in favor of a must-win game. A win would maintain the Rams in sixth place, with one game remaining against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 18. Time will tell whether the 49ers secure the first seed in the NFC Conference and rest important players when they meet the Rams in the regular season finale.
Sean McVay’s team may use all the rest they can get, especially given the long list of injuries sustained at MetLife Stadium, where the Rams will face the Giants next weekend.

Participate in the discussion while the Giants face their NFC East divisional rival Eagles on Christmas Day. Do Tommy DeVito and the New York Giants have a shot against a resurgent Los Angeles Rams club, or will Los Angeles fall short, leaving the playoffs incredibly close?