Although they struggled to score, the Los Angeles Ram took care of business against the Arizona Cardinals. The 13-9 victory improved their record to 10-6. More importantly, it moved Los Angeles closer to clinching the NFC West. They can lock up the division as early as Sunday if they get help from other teams around the NFL to clinch the strength of victory tiebreaker over the Seattle Seahawks.

After their win over the Cardinals, attention will turn to five teams in action on Sunday and Monday. The division will be theirs if they get at least two wins and a tie from five of the teams below. Here’s an updated rooting guide for the Rams in Week 17:

  • Buffalo Bills (vs. New York Jets, 1 p.m. ET)
  • Cleveland Browns (vs. Miami Dolphins 4:05 p.m. ET)
  • Minnesota Vikings (vs. Green Bay Packers, 4:25 p.m. ET)
  • Washington Commanders (vs. Atlanta Falcons, 8:20 p.m. ET)
  • San Francisco 49ers (vs. Detroit Lions, 8:15 pm. ET Monday)

The Bengals helped the Rams out earlier on Saturday by beating the Broncos in overtime, one of the wins Los Angeles needed in the strength of victory formula. The Rams need at least two teams to win and one to tie from the list above. If that happens, the Rams will clinch the NFC West crown, allowing them to rest their players in a meaningless Week 18 matchup.

How the Rams were able to get themselves in this position

Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) carries the ball to the 5-yard line in the first half against the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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It wasn't pretty, but Los Angeles found a path to victory against Arizona at home. Puka Nacua had 129 yards receiving, and Kyren Williams scored the only touchdown for the Rams (10-6), who ground through a difficult offensive night and survived a hair-raising fourth quarter for their fifth consecutive victory.

“We didn’t do a whole lot great, to be honest with you,” said Matthew Stafford, who passed for 189 yards in the Rams’ ninth win in 11 games. “Didn’t run it great. Didn’t throw it great. But found a way to get a win and get enough points.”

Arizona had backed Los Angeles into its own end zone in the final minute. The Cardinals needed just one big play to steal a win. Instead, Ahkello Witherspoon and the Rams hung on by their fingertips, and now they're on the brink of another NFC West title. Witherspoon made a diving interception on a deflected pass in the end zone with 37 seconds to play, and the Rams barely maintained command of the division race with a 13-9 victory over the Cardinals on Saturday night.

“I felt like for sure we were going to win that game,” Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray said. “We drove down the field, and (there's) nothing the defense can do to stop us, and at the end, a (lousy) turn of events. We got unlucky.”