After starting the season 1-4, the Rams have won nine of their 11 games after their Week 6 bye to enter Week 18 10-6.
With the club on the verge of clinching the NFC West either with some help or with a victory next weekend, quarterback Matthew Stafford said after Saturday’s victory over the Cardinals that he didn’t want to get too into hypotheticals about what it would mean to win the division.
“But sitting here doing this at 1-4 to where we are right now, I sure am proud of this group,” Stafford said. “Got a lot more football to play and a lot more to earn. But we’ve earned the opportunity to be where we are. And whatever that is, that is at the end of the weekend.
“But I’m proud of this group and the way we’ve battled back. A lot of people doubting us, a lot of people writing us off at 1-4, and being able to sit here with our record is what it is right now, I feel proud of this group.”
Los Angeles has been leaning heavily on its defense in recent weeks and did so again on Saturday, as Stafford finished the contest 17-of-32 for 189 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. But the Rams have largely been playing clean football over the last two months, committing just one giveaway since Week 13 and just two since Week 11.
In 16 games this year, Stafford has completed 65.8 percent of his passes for 3,762 yards with 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
