Seahawks' OT win over the Rams reshapes the NFC West and opens a clearer path for the 49ers in the playoff and No. 1 seed race.

It wasn't long ago that the Los Angeles Rams repeating as NFC West champions seemed like a lock. But as the 2025 NFL season has proven time and again, situations can change in an instant. The Rams were rolling at 9-2 but squandered a fourth-quarter lead against the Carolina Panthers in Week 13 and dropped a 31-28 decision,

As they prepare for their upcoming matchup, attention has shifted not only to the playoff race in the NFC West but also to the presence of veteran quarterback Philip Rivers on the other sideline, a player whose return to the field has drawn admiration from both Brock Purdy and Kyle Shanahan.

The Seahawks will travel to face the Carolina Panthers. The Panthers managed to beat the Rams 31-28 a couple of weeks ago and are trying to get a few wins to take the NFC South. Unlike the Seahawks, their postseason ticket hasn’t been punched. So there might be a bit more from the Panthers this week.

Week 16 of the NFL season is in the books. There were crazy games that could decide the winners of the NFC North and NFC West, and in turn, the top two seeds in the NFC playoffs. Meanwhile, we saw the first repeat NFC East champs clinch the division for the first time in over 20 years,

Notable odds: While the loss to the Panthers drops Tampa Bay out of playoff position for the time being, the Bucs still have a 58% shot at winning the NFC South, per The Athletic. That's because they face Carolina one more time and will hold the tiebreaker if they win that game.

Tony Dungy and Rodney Harrison share why they think the Los Angeles Rams are the best team in the NFC despite sitting at second place in their division.