The Eagles are Going to the Playoffs, Jared Goff and the Rams are for Real: Events that Sparked My Interest, Week 9

Week 9 was headlined by games that were either close or blowouts. What caught my eye this week was the continued dominance of Jared Goff (Los Angeles Rams) and Carson Wentz (Philadelphia Eagles) and how their play will impact the playoffs.

Carson Wentz’s Improvement all but Yields a Divisional Title for the Eagles

9 weeks into the season, Carson Wentz in the NFL MVP. He’s thrown for 2,262 yards, 23 touchdowns, and lead the Eagles to an 8-1 record. He only threw for an average of one touchdown per game in the 16 he played in last year. His improvement, along with his teammates have all but guaranteed the Eagles the NFC East. If they manage to win 4 of their remaining 7 games, they are the 6^th seed.  Their remaining schedule features games against Chicago and New York, both of which are wins. They also have games Dallas, Seattle, Los Angeles, Oakland, and two against Dallas. They should be able to win a majority of those games at minimum, giving them their 4 wins. They could also make the playoffs as a division winner, and fifth win is necessary for that.

The Eagles control their own destiny to the playoffs and not making it as a division winner (at worst) would be a huge surprise. The capabilities of Wentz’s weapons – Zach Ertz in the Red Zone, Jay Ajayi’s ability to take some pressure off Wentz, Alshon Jeffery as a deep threat – and his improvement have made the Eagles a playoff lock.

Jared Goff and the Rams are for Real

Did anyone expect the Rams to be 6-2 at this point? I didn’t. Did anyone expect them to be winning the division now? I certainly never expected them to be leading the division at any point in the season. But you know what? They are! They are for real. Baring a major injury (which we’ve seen a ton of this season, including Deshaun Watson, Odell Beckham Jr. and others) the Rams will be contending for the 5^th seed in the playoffs as I don’t think they beat the Seahawks for the division title.

Half of their wins have come against teams who have a combined record of 4-22 (the Colts, 49ers, and Giants), so some statistics may be juiced, but in the NFL a win is a win, and you’ve only got 16 chances at one.

In addition to their high scoring wins, they’ve also won some close games, including ones against the Cowboys and (sadly) the 49ers in which their defense has held onto the win. Since Aaron Donald has ended his holdout, the Rams defense has only gotten better, and I expect that to continue, possibly putting the team in the playoffs.

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