History shows that Sean McVay will likely rest the Rams’ starters in Week 18

Sean McVay was asked after Saturday night’s win over the Arizona Cardinals if he would consider resting his starters in the season finale if the Los Angeles Rams previously won the NFC West.

He didn’t give a definitive answer, saying he had a lot to consider and didn’t want to look too far into the future. However, he didn’t rule out the possibility of eliminating Matthew Stafford and the Rams’ other top players.

“I have to look at a lot of different things. We’ll see,” he said. “I don’t want to put the cart before the horse, so our focus and concentration will be on the question: ‘How do we get the opportunity to play a complete game against an outstanding Seattle Seahawks football team?’ Until we have to decide otherwise, I will I just concentrate on that.”

Now that the Rams have officially won the division, McVay must decide whether it’s worth using his starters in a game where seeding is all that matters. A win secures the Rams third place, while a loss will likely drop them to fourth in the conference.

We’ll likely get an answer from McVay about his plans later this week, but recent history gives us a pretty good idea of ​​what he’ll decide to do. That’s because the Rams have been in very similar situations twice before.

In McVay’s first season with the Rams in 2017, they clinched the division in Week 16. Just like this year, they were locked in either 3rd or 4th place. Showing no preference for any of the seeded players, McVay decided to rest his starters in Week 17 against the 49ers – a game the Rams lost 34-13. They then lost 26-13 to the Falcons in the wild card round.

The Rams faced a similar conundrum last year when they clinched a playoff spot in Week 17 and had the option to rest their starters against the 49ers in Week 18. They were either seeded No. 6 or No. 7, but McVay didn’t. Because he didn’t think the difference was big enough to let his starters play, he gave them a rest, just like the 49ers. The Rams won and secured the No. 6 seed, so it worked out well for them.

This year’s scenario is most similar to 2017, so it’s likely that the Rams will rest their starters and make sure everyone stays healthy until the playoffs start – even if that means losing on Sunday and on the number 4 fall back where they are. I would have to face the Vikings or lions.

McVay has shown he doesn’t care much for seeding differences, prioritizing health and rest over Round 1 matches. Additionally, with the Rams’ bye coming so early this season, the team would benefit greatly from a week off before the playoffs.