The Los Angeles Rams are at the bottom of the NFC West with a chance to shake up the standings this Sunday in Seattle. With every other team in the division at 4-4 and the Rams at 4-3, they are within striking distance of the division title and therefore a playoff spot.

The Rams have played well in recent weeks and have plenty of reasons to be optimistic going forward.

ESPN’s Brady Henderson recently analyzed why every team in the NFC West has a chance to win the division and what could be holding each team back. For the Rams, he thinks their defensive backfield could hold the Rams back.

“The Rams have seen improvement in that area this season, especially since the return of cornerback Darious Williams, but they may be the weakest group on the field,” Henderson said. “Los Angeles has a young defense and hasn’t had an elite player in the secondary since the Jalen Ramsey trade in March 2023.

“Week 8 win over the Minnesota Vikings,” Henderson said. “The Rams got a glimpse of what they hoped this offense would look like before being hit by injuries, scoring a game-high 30 points against a team ranked first in defensive DVOA. Los Angeles got off to a slow start to the season but is healthy in time to be in the playoff conversation.