What the Rams Proved in Week 11

Thomas Valentine is a sports writer for Pro Football Focus, and he updated his weekly power rankings heading into Week 12. The Rams once again find themselves at the top of the list, as they're one of the best teams in the NFL, and they showed that in Week 11.

"The Rams did the bulk of their scoring early, tallying two touchdowns in the first quarter to build up a lead before letting their defense really take over in the 21-19 win against the Seahawks. A matchup between two of the best all-around teams in the NFL could have gone either way, but it was the Rams’ defense — which now ranks third in EPA per play — that stood tall, picking Sam Darnold off four times to finally pull ahead in the NFC West at 8-2. The Rams have a 12% chance of winning the Super Bowl, best in the NFL", said Valentine.

The numbers are in favor of the Rams winning their second Super Bowl in five years, and the eye test says the same thing. They've pulled ahead in their own division and will give the Philadelphia Eagles a run for their money for home advantage throughout the playoffs.

The important thing for this squad will be not to lose focus. They can't afford to take their foot off the gas as the Seahawks are still right behind them for the division, and the San Francisco 49ers are starting to get healthy at the right time. The 49ers have the easiest schedule remaining of any team in the NFL, while the Rams still have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions on their schedule.

Their next opponents are the Buccaneers, which is another opportunity for them to belittle one of the top contenders in the NFC. They would be giving the division right back to the Seahawks if they lose at home, so they must avoid that if they want to stay on top of the power rankings.