The Los Angeles Rams secure the NFC West championship on an off day

LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Rams won the NFC West after clinching the win strength tiebreaker over the Seattle Seahawks.

In addition to beating the Arizona Cardinals on Saturday night, the Rams needed 3.5 or more wins against the Minnesota Vikings, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns entering the weekend to secure the tiebreaker.

The Rams beat the Cardinals 13-9 on Saturday and the Bengals beat the Broncos to pick up the first of those 3.5 wins. On Sunday, the Rams got help in wins from the Bills, Vikings and Commanders.

The Rams, who started the season 1-4, won nine of their next 11 games to secure a playoff spot.

When Rams coach Sean McVay held a news conference early Sunday morning, he said he planned to keep those games on in the background as he prepared for Los Angeles’ Week 18 game against the Seattle Seahawks.

When asked if his starters would play in Week 18 if the Rams aren’t playing for a playoff spot, McVay said he doesn’t want to put the cart before the horse. The 10-6 Rams could secure the No. 3 seed with a win against Seattle.

Last season, with its playoff berth on the line, Los Angeles rested quarterback Matthew Stafford, wide receiver Cooper Kupp, running back Kyren Williams, defensive tackle Aaron Donald and linebacker Ernest Jones in Week 18.

Asked Saturday night what it would mean to secure a spot before they play Seattle in Week 18, McVay said: “We had to take care of our business tonight for that to even be possible. So it would mean a lot.”

According to ESPN Research, Los Angeles is the first team in NFL history to reach the playoffs in two consecutive seasons after finishing under .500 in three games.