The Los Angeles Rams had everything to lose in falling to the New York Jets in Week 15 but namely an opportunity for a home game in the NFC playoffs and first place in the NFC West. Beating the winless Jets would have also kept Los Angeles one game behind the Green Bay Packers for the top seed in the conference -- and the Rams still had a mathematical shot at home-field advantage even though the odds were severely stacked against them.
Not only did the Rams blow that chance, but they also lost first place in the NFC West to the Seattle Seahawks (and a home game in the wild card round). If Seattle beats Los Angeles Sunday, the Seahawks clinch the NFC West title -- and the Rams could be fighting for their playoff lives even though they are two games ahead of the Chicago Bears with two weeks left.
The Rams should still make the playoffs, but beating the winless Jets would have clinched a playoff berth. All adding to the embarrassment of losing to a winless team.
"I have to do a better job of getting us ready to go. This loss will demoralize us only as much as we allow it to," Rams head coach Sean McVay said to reporters after the loss. "It's going to be embarrassing, sick to your stomach about it, but we do have two games left and we have to find a way to respond and rebound on a short week, not really a short week but this week, as we get ready for the Seahawks.
"That was very humbling, and it's going to be humbling, but we're going to move forward. That's exactly what we'll do. That's all I know how to do."
The Jets became the first team in NFL history to be winless and beat a 9+ win team on the road. The Jets are the third team all-time to be 0-13 or worse and defeat a team with a winning record -- the 2011 Indianapolis Colts were 0-13 when they defeated the 7-6 Tennessee Titans and 1962 Oakland Raiders were 0-13 when they beat the 9-3-1 Boston Patriots. Both teams missed the playoffs.
McVay would rather not repeat history. The Rams have two games to make sure that doesn't happen.
"Whether you lose or you win, you always learn," McVay said. "You move forward and you can't allow the previous result, whether it be good or bad, to affect the way that you prepare for the following week. And so, what I say to the team, I keep that between us but I expect us to be able to respond.
"I'm going to go back to work, look at this, be honest with the mistakes that I made and where I can be better to help prepare and make sure that we avoid making some of the same mistakes twice. But like I said, this is not the result, or not the type of game that we expected, but this is why you play sports."
