Sean McVay Says Rams Starters to Play Week 18 vs. Cardinals.

Despite being eliminated from NFC West contention, Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay confirmed that his starters will take the field in Week 18 against the Arizona Cardinals. This decision marks a change from the previous two seasons, during which McVay rested quarterback Matthew Stafford and other key players in the final week of the regular season, even when playoff seeding was still a factor. “Oh, we’re playing,” McVay stated Monday night following the Rams’ 27-24 defeat to the Atlanta Falcons. “Yeah, they’re playing.” When asked if the choice was influenced by the team’s consecutive losses, McVay denied that it was. “No, they were going to play anyways,” he said. “We need to play. We need to play better football. So I don’t know what the consequences are in those different types of things, but we got to play better.” The Rams (11-5) would secure the No. 5 seed in the NFC with a win over the Cardinals, provided the Seattle Seahawks fall to the San Francisco 49ers. A loss to Arizona or a 49ers victory would drop Los Angeles to the No. 6 seed. The 49ers-Seahawks matchup is scheduled for Saturday at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN/ABC.

Los Angeles recently lost to Seattle in Week 16 and has now suffered back-to-back defeats for the first time since Weeks 4 and 5 of the 2024 season.

“Obviously I didn’t play well enough,” Stafford admitted after Monday’s game. “Nothing [the Falcons] did, to be honest with you. Same kind of stuff they’ve been doing all year. We didn’t execute well enough. I obviously didn’t play well enough and that’s what it is.”

Stafford finished the game completing 22 of 38 passes for 269 yards, with two touchdowns and three interceptions. Asked if he was looking forward to returning for Week 18, he said, “Yeah, I love playing the game. So, yeah. I’ll be ready to go.”

Entering Monday night, Stafford was favored to win the NFL MVP at -225, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. Following the loss, New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye took over as the favorite at -400, while Stafford’s odds shifted to +300.