Surprising Rams roll into playoffs with momentum from 7 wins in 8 games since their bye week
Associated PressLOS ANGELES — Not many teams are heading into the postseason playing better football than the Los Angeles Rams, who have won seven of eight since their bye week to earn a history-rich playoff showdown in Detroit. And while momentum doesn’t always mean much in the playoff cauldron, the Rams finished out their regular season at a level that showed they’re capable of doing big things this year — and they’re also not nearly as far from championship contention as they appeared to be during the past offseason. Puka Nacua’s historic season got the biggest headlines, but a half-dozen draft picks made major contributions while leading a contingent of nearly two dozen first- and second-year players on the NFL’s second-youngest roster. Stafford fell just short of a 4,000-yard passing season despite missing 2 1/2 games, Kyren Williams became the Rams’ first 1,000-yard rusher since 2018 and Nacua became the most prolific rookie receiver in NFL history. KEY NUMBER 1,148 — The number of snaps played by rookie left guard Steve Avila, the only player who didn’t miss a single snap for the Rams this season.