When running a marathon, those who've built up the endurance are typically the ones who find the most success when it comes to crossing a finish line. While the Rams got into the playoffs as the NFC's sixth seed, they appear to be the hottest team in the NFL now, and thus are in an excellent spot to ride their hot hand all the way to Super Bowl 58.
A three-game losing skid that dropped Los Angeles to 3-6 in early November appeared to spell the end of Sean McVay's successful run as the head coach. Injuries suffered by veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford, paired with subpar roster talent, gave nobody reason to believe in the possibility of a turnaround. But, out of the blue, the Rams went on a much-needed run, winning seven of their final eight games to end the regular season with a 10-7 record.
Los Angeles' winning stretch included wins over the Browns, Seahawks, and Saints, so nobody can chalk up their success to facing mediocre opponents. The lone loss came in overtime on a walk-off punt return touchdown, against a Ravens team poised to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. Even more noteworthy is the fact the Rams gave the Ravens a tougher fight than the 49ers, Jaguars, or Dolphins did in the final month of the season. Los Angeles also averaged 28.5 points during that eight-game span, which ranked inside the NFL's top-five.
If Stafford can protect the football and find ways to spread the love around to rookie sensation Puka Nacua and veteran superstar Cooper Kupp, they'll have an excellent chance to reach their second Super Bowl in three seasons. They should be smelling blood in the water, too, with no consensus NFC top dog.
The Eagles are in complete free fall, having lost five of six games to end their season. The top-seeded 49ers have been vulnerable at times. The Cowboys have yet to prove they can consistently win on the road, or under the bright lights of the postseason.
Now, this isn't to say the Rams can expect a cakewalk to the promised land. But their recent hot streak, coupled with that lack of top-notch competition around them, has created a perfect storm of events for a deep playoff push.
While everyone else was panting toward the three-quarter mark of the huge race, endurance has allowed the Rams to preserve energy -- and speed up.
Alright, now about the Bills. The NFL is surely a "what have you done for me lately" business. Just ask head coach Sean McDermott, who was placed on the hot seat after a late November overtime loss to the Eagles that dropped Buffalo to 6-6. Even though McDermott helped snap the franchise's 17-year playoff drought by leading them to five postseason appearances in the last six seasons at the helm, that hot seat still emerged.
Ultimately, the issue is expectations have risen with quarterback Josh Allen and a stingy defense. McDermott hasn’t been able to get the Bills over the hump, as they've reached the AFC Championship just once.
This season, it felt like Buffalo's best coach since Marv Levy -- who reached four straight Super Bowls in the 1990s -- wasn't going to survive what figured to be a tumultuous ending. Then the Bills finished the season strong with five consecutive wins, including a commanding 21-14 victory over the Dolphins on Sunday which clinched the AFC East crown. It hasn't always been pretty with Allen, who threw a career-high 18 interceptions this season. But he made the plays and flashed the electric talent that's made him one of the NFL's best.
Can McDermott and Allen deliver a long-desired Super Bowl championship to a starved fanbase? Can they deliver a Lombardi Trophy to a 98-year-old Levy, whose diet and youthful energy has made him the longest living member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Both parties deserve it. While the AFC is quite crowded, the Bills begin their quest against an underwhelming Steelers team.
Bills fans should be careful what they wish for, as it's hard to think of a coach who'd do a better job than McDermott. The grass may not be greener with an unproven leader inside the locker room instead.
Naturally, if the Bills fall short again, questions about McDermott's ceiling will surface once again. But that could be a product of Buffalo getting greedy on its dice rolls at the casino. Kyle Shanahan, who was hired in 2017 to lead the 49ers, has taken them to a Super Bowl and performed better in the playoffs, but hasn't had to hear murmurs about job security due to shortcomings. The difference is the 49ers haven't missed a beat despite changing quarterbacks, and their fans are more appreciative of Shanahan's ability to consistently win.
McDermott has done a strong enough job getting the Bills back to relevancy, that not a single down season should threaten his job. Every head coach has deficiencies, and McDermott's occasional in-game mismanagement shouldn't be enough to doom him this season or in the future. After all, being the good-but-not-great winner is much better than being the Bad News Bears.