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NFL playoff picture: What does Rams-Falcons mean for NFC standings in Week 17

NFL playoff picture: What does Rams-Falcons mean for NFC standings in Week 17

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The Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons close out the Week 17 slate with a Monday Night Football matchup in Atlanta. The game features a Rams squad headed to the playoffs and a Falcons squad headed home after Week 18 with more questions than answers.

The playoff field has two more slots to fill, but seeding remains in question. We’ll break down where the Rams could end up in the playoff bracket based on their performance this week and next week. The Rams are a 7.5-point road favorite against the Falcons.

Los Angeles Rams playoff picture

The Rams led the NFC West for much of the season, but a loss to the Seahawks in Week 16 sent them down the board. And now that the Seahawks and 49ers both won in Week 17, LA is playing for wild card positioning and nothing more.

LA heads into Monday night with the No. 6 seed in the NFC bracket. They’ll remain in the No. 6 spot regardless of their result tonight. A win would move them into a tie with the 49ers, but San Francisco has the division record tiebreaker. A loss would drop them a game back of the 49ers, but they cannot fall behind the No. 7 seed Packers even with losses this week and next week.

If LA wins their final two games on the road against the Falcons and at home against the Cardinals, they will claim the No. 5 seed. That would mean they would travel to face the NFC South champion in the Wild Card round. They can also claim the No. 5 seed with a loss in Week 17, a win in Week 18, and a 49ers loss in Week 18.

If the Rams lose in Week 18, they would finish with the No. 6 seed. If they lose in Week 17 and the 49ers win in Week 18, they would also finish with the No. 6 seed.

There are no tiebreaker implications that would result from this matchup.

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Deadspin | Oilers squander 2-goal lead, then come back to edge Ducks Apr 20, 2026; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers center Jason Dickinson (16) shoots the puck to Anaheim Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal (1) in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs during the first period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images Kasperi Kapanen netted his second goal of the game with 1:54 left in the third period and the Edmonton Oilers recovered for a 4-3 win against the visiting Anaheim Ducks in Game 1 of a Western Conference first-round series on Monday. Kapanen scored with a one-timer from the slot off a feed from behind the Anaheim net by Vasily Podkolzin. Jason Dickinson also scored two goals and Connor Ingram made 24 saves for the Oilers, who gave up three goals in the second period to surrender a 2-0 lead. Podkolzin, Jake Walman and Leon Draisaitl had two assists apiece. Draisaitl, who had 97 points in 65 games this season, had missed the final 14 games of the regular season with a lower-body injury. Troy Terry had two goals and an assist, Leo Carlsson added a goal and an assist and Lukas Dostal made 30 saves for the Ducks in their first playoff game in eight years. Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Wednesday in Edmonton. Walman made a blue line-to-blue line stretch pass to Dickinson as he slipped behind rookie defenseman Tyson Hinds, and Dickinson got Dostal to bite on a fake before shooting the puck into the open side of the net for a 1-0 lead at 17:21 of the first. The Oilers doubled the lead to 2-0 after Ducks forward Chris Kreider turned the puck over coming through the neutral zone. Leon Draisaitl centered the puck to Kapanen, whose initial shot from the high slot was saved by Dostal, but Kapanen knocked down the rebound and shot it in from the side of the crease at 18:21 of the first. Edmonton outshot Anaheim 5-0 through the first 6 1/2 minutes before finishing with a 14-4 edge in the first period. The Ducks scored 19 seconds into the second period when a rebound came out diagonally to Terry and he fired it back into the net from the right circle. The Ducks were unable to capitalize on the first power play of the game, but they scored 19 seconds after it expired. Another rebound came out diagonally, this time to Carlsson, who put it into the net to tie it 2-2 at 4:38 of the middle period. Anaheim was on its second power play when Terry scored with a wrist shot from above the left circle with help from a screen by Kreider to grab a 3-2 lead at 14:29 of the second period. Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas lost his footing while defending a rush, allowing Dickinson to score on a rebound and tie it 3-3 at 11:30 of the third. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Oilers #squander #2goal #lead #edge #DucksApr 20, 2026; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers center Jason Dickinson (16) shoots the puck to Anaheim Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal (1) in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs during the first period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images

Kasperi Kapanen netted his second goal of the game with 1:54 left in the third period and the Edmonton Oilers recovered for a 4-3 win against the visiting Anaheim Ducks in Game 1 of a Western Conference first-round series on Monday.

Kapanen scored with a one-timer from the slot off a feed from behind the Anaheim net by Vasily Podkolzin.

Jason Dickinson also scored two goals and Connor Ingram made 24 saves for the Oilers, who gave up three goals in the second period to surrender a 2-0 lead. Podkolzin, Jake Walman and Leon Draisaitl had two assists apiece.

Draisaitl, who had 97 points in 65 games this season, had missed the final 14 games of the regular season with a lower-body injury.

Troy Terry had two goals and an assist, Leo Carlsson added a goal and an assist and Lukas Dostal made 30 saves for the Ducks in their first playoff game in eight years.

Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Wednesday in Edmonton.


Walman made a blue line-to-blue line stretch pass to Dickinson as he slipped behind rookie defenseman Tyson Hinds, and Dickinson got Dostal to bite on a fake before shooting the puck into the open side of the net for a 1-0 lead at 17:21 of the first.

The Oilers doubled the lead to 2-0 after Ducks forward Chris Kreider turned the puck over coming through the neutral zone. Leon Draisaitl centered the puck to Kapanen, whose initial shot from the high slot was saved by Dostal, but Kapanen knocked down the rebound and shot it in from the side of the crease at 18:21 of the first.

Edmonton outshot Anaheim 5-0 through the first 6 1/2 minutes before finishing with a 14-4 edge in the first period.

The Ducks scored 19 seconds into the second period when a rebound came out diagonally to Terry and he fired it back into the net from the right circle.

The Ducks were unable to capitalize on the first power play of the game, but they scored 19 seconds after it expired. Another rebound came out diagonally, this time to Carlsson, who put it into the net to tie it 2-2 at 4:38 of the middle period.

Anaheim was on its second power play when Terry scored with a wrist shot from above the left circle with help from a screen by Kreider to grab a 3-2 lead at 14:29 of the second period.

Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas lost his footing while defending a rush, allowing Dickinson to score on a rebound and tie it 3-3 at 11:30 of the third.


–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Oilers #squander #2goal #lead #edge #Ducks">Deadspin | Oilers squander 2-goal lead, then come back to edge Ducks Apr 20, 2026; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Edmonton Oilers center Jason Dickinson (16) shoots the puck to Anaheim Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal (1) in game one of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs during the first period at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Walter Tychnowicz-Imagn Images Kasperi Kapanen netted his second goal of the game with 1:54 left in the third period and the Edmonton Oilers recovered for a 4-3 win against the visiting Anaheim Ducks in Game 1 of a Western Conference first-round series on Monday. Kapanen scored with a one-timer from the slot off a feed from behind the Anaheim net by Vasily Podkolzin. Jason Dickinson also scored two goals and Connor Ingram made 24 saves for the Oilers, who gave up three goals in the second period to surrender a 2-0 lead. Podkolzin, Jake Walman and Leon Draisaitl had two assists apiece. Draisaitl, who had 97 points in 65 games this season, had missed the final 14 games of the regular season with a lower-body injury. Troy Terry had two goals and an assist, Leo Carlsson added a goal and an assist and Lukas Dostal made 30 saves for the Ducks in their first playoff game in eight years. Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Wednesday in Edmonton. Walman made a blue line-to-blue line stretch pass to Dickinson as he slipped behind rookie defenseman Tyson Hinds, and Dickinson got Dostal to bite on a fake before shooting the puck into the open side of the net for a 1-0 lead at 17:21 of the first. The Oilers doubled the lead to 2-0 after Ducks forward Chris Kreider turned the puck over coming through the neutral zone. Leon Draisaitl centered the puck to Kapanen, whose initial shot from the high slot was saved by Dostal, but Kapanen knocked down the rebound and shot it in from the side of the crease at 18:21 of the first. Edmonton outshot Anaheim 5-0 through the first 6 1/2 minutes before finishing with a 14-4 edge in the first period. The Ducks scored 19 seconds into the second period when a rebound came out diagonally to Terry and he fired it back into the net from the right circle. The Ducks were unable to capitalize on the first power play of the game, but they scored 19 seconds after it expired. Another rebound came out diagonally, this time to Carlsson, who put it into the net to tie it 2-2 at 4:38 of the middle period. Anaheim was on its second power play when Terry scored with a wrist shot from above the left circle with help from a screen by Kreider to grab a 3-2 lead at 14:29 of the second period. Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas lost his footing while defending a rush, allowing Dickinson to score on a rebound and tie it 3-3 at 11:30 of the third. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Oilers #squander #2goal #lead #edge #Ducks

Usain Bolt said Australian sprint sensation Gout Gout must surround himself ​with a strong support team in order ‌to stay focused on his career ​and avoid the distractions that ⁠will come with track and field success.

Gout has earned comparisons with the Jamaican sprinting great, and the 18-year-old is already being talked about in Australia ‌as a potential gold medallist when ‌Brisbane ⁠hosts the Olympics in 2032.

He clocked ⁠19.67 seconds to win the 200 metres title at the Australian Athletics Championships this month and ​followed it up ‌with a victory in the under-20 100m event where he finished in 10.21 seconds.

Bolt holds the world record in ‌the 200m (19.19) and the 100m (9.58).

“At that ​young age, because I was there, you start getting put ⁠left and right and then you forget track and field,” eight-time Olympic gold medallist ‌Bolt told CNN.

ALSO READ | India moved to Category A over doping concerns; stricter anti-doping norms to follow

“Hopefully he has the right set of people to guide him and keep him focused on track and field because the rest of the stuff will always be there.

“But ‌if you mess up on track and field, ​then it all goes away.”

Gout, the son of South Sudanese immigrants, ⁠is set to make his Diamond League ⁠debut in the 200m in Oslo on June 10, lining up in ‌a strong field led by reigning Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana.

Published on Apr 21, 2026

#Bolt #hopes #Australian #sprint #sensation #Gout #strong #support #system">Bolt hopes Australian sprint sensation Gout has strong support system Usain Bolt said Australian sprint sensation Gout Gout must surround himself ​with a strong support team in order ‌to stay focused on his career ​and avoid the distractions that ⁠will come with track and field success.Gout has earned comparisons with the Jamaican sprinting great, and the 18-year-old is already being talked about in Australia ‌as a potential gold medallist when ‌Brisbane ⁠hosts the Olympics in 2032.He clocked ⁠19.67 seconds to win the 200 metres title at the Australian Athletics Championships this month and ​followed it up ‌with a victory in the under-20 100m event where he finished in 10.21 seconds.Bolt holds the world record in ‌the 200m (19.19) and the 100m (9.58).“At that ​young age, because I was there, you start getting put ⁠left and right and then you forget track and field,” eight-time Olympic gold medallist ‌Bolt told CNN.ALSO READ | India moved to Category A over doping concerns; stricter anti-doping norms to follow“Hopefully he has the right set of people to guide him and keep him focused on track and field because the rest of the stuff will always be there.“But ‌if you mess up on track and field, ​then it all goes away.”Gout, the son of South Sudanese immigrants, ⁠is set to make his Diamond League ⁠debut in the 200m in Oslo on June 10, lining up in ‌a strong field led by reigning Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana.Published on Apr 21, 2026 #Bolt #hopes #Australian #sprint #sensation #Gout #strong #support #system

India moved to Category A over doping concerns; stricter anti-doping norms to follow

“Hopefully he has the right set of people to guide him and keep him focused on track and field because the rest of the stuff will always be there.

“But ‌if you mess up on track and field, ​then it all goes away.”

Gout, the son of South Sudanese immigrants, ⁠is set to make his Diamond League ⁠debut in the 200m in Oslo on June 10, lining up in ‌a strong field led by reigning Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana.

Published on Apr 21, 2026

#Bolt #hopes #Australian #sprint #sensation #Gout #strong #support #system">Bolt hopes Australian sprint sensation Gout has strong support system

Usain Bolt said Australian sprint sensation Gout Gout must surround himself ​with a strong support team in order ‌to stay focused on his career ​and avoid the distractions that ⁠will come with track and field success.

Gout has earned comparisons with the Jamaican sprinting great, and the 18-year-old is already being talked about in Australia ‌as a potential gold medallist when ‌Brisbane ⁠hosts the Olympics in 2032.

He clocked ⁠19.67 seconds to win the 200 metres title at the Australian Athletics Championships this month and ​followed it up ‌with a victory in the under-20 100m event where he finished in 10.21 seconds.

Bolt holds the world record in ‌the 200m (19.19) and the 100m (9.58).

“At that ​young age, because I was there, you start getting put ⁠left and right and then you forget track and field,” eight-time Olympic gold medallist ‌Bolt told CNN.

ALSO READ | India moved to Category A over doping concerns; stricter anti-doping norms to follow

“Hopefully he has the right set of people to guide him and keep him focused on track and field because the rest of the stuff will always be there.

“But ‌if you mess up on track and field, ​then it all goes away.”

Gout, the son of South Sudanese immigrants, ⁠is set to make his Diamond League ⁠debut in the 200m in Oslo on June 10, lining up in ‌a strong field led by reigning Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana.

Published on Apr 21, 2026

#Bolt #hopes #Australian #sprint #sensation #Gout #strong #support #system
Deadspin | Rece Hinds, TJ Friedl help Reds pull away from Twins in 10 Apr 19, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cincinnati Reds center fielder TJ Friedl (29) at bat against Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Bailey Ober (17) in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images Rece Hinds hit a two-run double in the top of the 10th inning, and the Cincinnati Reds held on for a 7-4 win over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis. TJ Friedl went 2-for-5 with a double, three RBIs and a stolen base to lead Cincinnati, which completed a three-game sweep. Sal Stewart also drove in a run. Victor Caratini had two hits with two RBIs to lead Minnesota at the plate. Josh Bell and Austin Martin added RBIs for the Twins, who lost their fourth game in a row. Reds right-hander Emilio Pagan (2-0) got the victory despite allowing one run on two hits in one inning of relief. Pagan was one of four relievers to follow starter Brady Singer, who gave up three runs on five hits in six innings. Twins right-hander Garrett Acton (1-1) gave up three unearned runs on one hit in 1 2/3 innings. He was part of a bullpen that could not hold the lead for starter Bailey Ober, who struck out 10 and allowed one unearned run in 6 1/3 innings. Reds right-hander Graham Ashcraft pitched a scoreless inning for his first career save. The game ended on an ABS challenge by the Reds, which determined that Twins hitter Brooks Lee watched strike three for the final out. Minnesota committed two errors on one play to allow the Reds to take the lead in the 10th. Tristan Gray could not handle a ground ball hit to third base by Eugenio Suarez, and when the ball rolled into left field, Martin misplayed it and allowed Elly De La Cruz to race home. The double miscue gave the Reds a 5-4 lead. Later in the inning, Hinds belted a two-run double to left to put Cincinnati on top 7-4. Minnesota coughed up a 3-1 lead heading into the ninth. The Reds loaded the bases for Friedl, who hit a bases-clearing double to give Cincinnati a 4-3 advantage. The Twins battled back to even the score in the bottom of the ninth. James Outman hit a leadoff double to right, and Martin drove him in two batters later with a double to left. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Rece #Hinds #Friedl #Reds #pull #TwinsApr 19, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cincinnati Reds center fielder TJ Friedl (29) at bat against Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Bailey Ober (17) in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

Rece Hinds hit a two-run double in the top of the 10th inning, and the Cincinnati Reds held on for a 7-4 win over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis.

TJ Friedl went 2-for-5 with a double, three RBIs and a stolen base to lead Cincinnati, which completed a three-game sweep. Sal Stewart also drove in a run.

Victor Caratini had two hits with two RBIs to lead Minnesota at the plate. Josh Bell and Austin Martin added RBIs for the Twins, who lost their fourth game in a row.

Reds right-hander Emilio Pagan (2-0) got the victory despite allowing one run on two hits in one inning of relief. Pagan was one of four relievers to follow starter Brady Singer, who gave up three runs on five hits in six innings.

Twins right-hander Garrett Acton (1-1) gave up three unearned runs on one hit in 1 2/3 innings. He was part of a bullpen that could not hold the lead for starter Bailey Ober, who struck out 10 and allowed one unearned run in 6 1/3 innings.


Reds right-hander Graham Ashcraft pitched a scoreless inning for his first career save. The game ended on an ABS challenge by the Reds, which determined that Twins hitter Brooks Lee watched strike three for the final out.

Minnesota committed two errors on one play to allow the Reds to take the lead in the 10th. Tristan Gray could not handle a ground ball hit to third base by Eugenio Suarez, and when the ball rolled into left field, Martin misplayed it and allowed Elly De La Cruz to race home.

The double miscue gave the Reds a 5-4 lead. Later in the inning, Hinds belted a two-run double to left to put Cincinnati on top 7-4.

Minnesota coughed up a 3-1 lead heading into the ninth. The Reds loaded the bases for Friedl, who hit a bases-clearing double to give Cincinnati a 4-3 advantage.

The Twins battled back to even the score in the bottom of the ninth. James Outman hit a leadoff double to right, and Martin drove him in two batters later with a double to left.

–Field Level Media

#Deadspin #Rece #Hinds #Friedl #Reds #pull #Twins">Deadspin | Rece Hinds, TJ Friedl help Reds pull away from Twins in 10 Apr 19, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Cincinnati Reds center fielder TJ Friedl (29) at bat against Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Bailey Ober (17) in the first inning at Target Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images Rece Hinds hit a two-run double in the top of the 10th inning, and the Cincinnati Reds held on for a 7-4 win over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday afternoon in Minneapolis. TJ Friedl went 2-for-5 with a double, three RBIs and a stolen base to lead Cincinnati, which completed a three-game sweep. Sal Stewart also drove in a run. Victor Caratini had two hits with two RBIs to lead Minnesota at the plate. Josh Bell and Austin Martin added RBIs for the Twins, who lost their fourth game in a row. Reds right-hander Emilio Pagan (2-0) got the victory despite allowing one run on two hits in one inning of relief. Pagan was one of four relievers to follow starter Brady Singer, who gave up three runs on five hits in six innings. Twins right-hander Garrett Acton (1-1) gave up three unearned runs on one hit in 1 2/3 innings. He was part of a bullpen that could not hold the lead for starter Bailey Ober, who struck out 10 and allowed one unearned run in 6 1/3 innings. Reds right-hander Graham Ashcraft pitched a scoreless inning for his first career save. The game ended on an ABS challenge by the Reds, which determined that Twins hitter Brooks Lee watched strike three for the final out. Minnesota committed two errors on one play to allow the Reds to take the lead in the 10th. Tristan Gray could not handle a ground ball hit to third base by Eugenio Suarez, and when the ball rolled into left field, Martin misplayed it and allowed Elly De La Cruz to race home. The double miscue gave the Reds a 5-4 lead. Later in the inning, Hinds belted a two-run double to left to put Cincinnati on top 7-4. Minnesota coughed up a 3-1 lead heading into the ninth. The Reds loaded the bases for Friedl, who hit a bases-clearing double to give Cincinnati a 4-3 advantage. The Twins battled back to even the score in the bottom of the ninth. James Outman hit a leadoff double to right, and Martin drove him in two batters later with a double to left. –Field Level Media #Deadspin #Rece #Hinds #Friedl #Reds #pull #Twins

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