The excitement in the NFL playoff race is reaching a fever pitch, and this weekend, the chaos hit a new level in the NFC West. The Los Angeles Rams celebrated a significant achievement by clinching the division title on Sunday—even without stepping onto the field! Their victory was made possible by the Washington Commanders' win over the Atlanta Falcons.

Next up for the Rams is a matchup against the Seahawks in Week 18, but that game has now lost its significance in the division race. Thanks to an uncommon tiebreaker known as the "Strength of Victory," the Rams have ensured their spot at the top, making it so that even a win for the Seahawks against them would not change the division standings.

For those unfamiliar with NFL tiebreakers, the Strength of Victory is the fifth criterion for determining playoff standings, used when two teams finish with the same record at the top of their division. This unique method considers the combined winning percentage of the teams that a club has defeated throughout the season. The Rams clinched this title by outperforming their rivals, thanks to a series of key wins by other teams this past week.

The Rams initially kicked off the clinching process with a crucial win over the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday. They then needed several other teams to pull off victories on Sunday to ensure their playoff piece was locked in. Thankfully for LA fans, the Bengals triumphed in overtime against the Broncos, and both the Bills and Vikings secured wins over the Jets and Packers, respectively. The final piece of the puzzle came when the Commanders triumphed in a thrilling overtime battle, solidifying the Rams' division title.

Under Head Coach Sean McVay, this is the sixth time in eight seasons that the Rams will be heading to the postseason, marking a strong era of competition for the team. Notably, this marks the fourth time they have claimed the NFC West title during McVay’s tenure. Historically, the Rams have seen success in the playoffs, having reached the Super Bowl twice in three previous division titles.

This win now gives the Rams the flexibility to rest key players during their upcoming game against the Seahawks, allowing them to potentially preserve their star athletes for a deeper playoff run.

On the other hand, the Seahawks are left with a bitter taste, particularly due to the rare nature of the Strength of Victory tiebreaker. Since 2010, this tiebreaker has only been used four times, and remarkably, two of those instances involved the Seahawks. Last season, they faced disappointment as they ended up tied with the Green Bay Packers for the final wild-card spot, only to lose out due to the same tiebreaker. Experiencing this tough luck in consecutive seasons only adds to the challenges faced by Seattle as they look to rebound in the coming years.

As the playoffs loom, fans and analysts alike will be watching to see if the Rams can translate their regular-season success into a championship run! Will they continue their momentum or face new hurdles in the postseason? Stay tuned!