Best of The Ben Maller Show

Losers go first, so what happened to the Rams? They fell 27 to 24 on Monday night, and Matthew Stafford had a rough one. Three interceptions, including a pick six, and the last drive was a roller coaster. He sailed a wide-open corner route to Xavier Smith that should have put them in field goal range. A deep shot to Tutu Atwell looked like it drew pass interference but did not get the flag. Then Puka Nacua’s one-handed grab was ruled incomplete after AJ Terrell tugged his arm just enough to jar control as Puka went out. Fourth down fell incomplete. That was the game, and it nuked Stafford’s MVP case.

How much did the MVP odds swing? A lot. Stafford went from clear favorite to roughly three to one. Drake May, the Patriots quarterback, is now the heavy favorite at about minus 400. One brutal night, three picks, and the market flipped.

Where do the Rams go from here? Sean McVay says the starters will play in Week 18 against the Cardinals. Seeding-wise, they tumbled fast. A week ago they were sitting on the one seed late in Seattle before a special teams meltdown and an overtime loss. Then Atlanta beat them. Now they are the six seed and can only climb to the five. The priority is to play clean football again before the tournament starts.

What did Atlanta’s win do to the NFC South mess? It helped Carolina and hurt Tampa. If Carolina beats Tampa on Saturday, Carolina takes the division. If Tampa wins, they still need the Falcons to lose to the Saints on Sunday. There is even a path to a three-way tie at eight and nine that breaks for Carolina. Tampa started six and two, sits seven and nine, and now needs help. That’s a fall.

Why does the current seeding format make no sense? Because division winners get slotted one through four no matter their records, which can put a nine and seven team ahead of multiple 11 and five teams. My fix is simple. Win your division and you are in, but seed all seven by record, full stop. College football tried conference-winner perks for byes, saw low-ranked teams get rewarded, and scrapped it in one year. The NFL should do the same.

Does reseeding after the first round solve it? Not really. You can still end up with a wild card hosting a division winner in round two, which proves the principle is already broken. If that scenario is acceptable later, it should be acceptable from the start. Owners keep clinging to home games for division champs, but logic says seed by record and let the better season earn the home field.

Who are the five quarterbacks who would gain the most from a title this year? Quick ground rules. Everyone would benefit, but I’m focusing on guys without rings. I left Lamar Jackson off only because the Ravens don’t look like true contenders right now with the injuries and his recent form.

Number five, Justin Herbert. He hears the no playoff wins talk, wore too much blame for the Jacksonville collapse, and then had a four-pick clunker last year. Winning it all with a repaired hand would flip that narrative overnight.

Number four, Trevor Lawrence. The regular season love is thin, the expectations from college were sky high, and it has not clicked consistently. A ring in Jacksonville would change how we talk about him.

Number three, Sam Darnold. The brand has been sacks, mistakes, and the ghosts meme. If he steadies Seattle, leans on that defense and a true number one, and rides it to a title, it rewrites his career story.

Number two, Brock Purdy. He has been labeled good-not-great and the product of a loaded roster. If he wins a Super Bowl, makes big-time throws on the biggest stage, the doubters have to holster it. That would be a full-on validation.

Number one, Josh Allen. He becomes a different tier of quarterback, and he would be forever knighted in Buffalo after decades of heartbreak. It supercharges every future marquee game. Super Bowl champion Josh Allen versus Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes sells itself. Win one now, stack elite years, and now you are cooking with grease.