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Rams Climb to Near-Consensus No. 1 Entering Week 12

A surge in takeaways plus steadier special teams underpins the recognition.

Overview

  • NFL.com placed Los Angeles at No. 1 this week, and a Yahoo Sports roundup found six of eight major power rankings now have the Rams in the top spot.
  • The Rams moved to 8-2 and first in the NFC West after a 21-19 Week 11 win over the Seahawks that hinged on a missed Jason Myers field goal.
  • Los Angeles intercepted Sam Darnold four times and kept Seattle out of the end zone for nearly the entire game in a performance hailed as a defensive watershed.
  • The defense has generated eight takeaways in three games since the bye and is allowing 17.2 points per game, the second-fewest reported at this stage.
  • Despite the rankings surge, the Eagles hold the top-seed tiebreaker from a Week 3 win, with analysts also noting tougher opponents ahead and recent stability after changes at long snapper and kicker.