LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Rams, fresh off their bye week, are 5-2 for the first time in 14 years. And now the math starts to look favorable. They only have to go 3-6 to finish with a .500 record for the first time since 2006, and they can reach 10 wins -- which probably means they would make the playoffs -- by going 5-4 the rest of the way.
The Rams have started 5-2 or better 25 other times in their history. They made the playoffs in 21 of those seasons. Since 1978, the first year of a 16-game schedule, they've won at least 10 games in 10 of the 12 years they started 5-2 or better. But their schedule gets tougher soon, with five of their last eight games against teams with a winning record.
Below, we ranked each remaining game by most to least winnable.
1. At New York Giants (Nov. 5): Another long flight for the Rams, who played their past two games in London and in Jacksonville. But they get a favorable matchup coming off their bye week against a Giants team that was already playing poorly and then was plagued by injuries. The Giants (1-6) have a bad offensive line and an immobile, struggling Eli Manning operating behind it. Their top two receivers, Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall, are out for the season. And their defense, expected to be a strength, ranks 27th in yards per game.
2. Vs. San Francisco (Dec. 31): The San Francisco 49ers played the Rams tough at Levi's Stadium on "Thursday Night Football" this season, with the two teams improbably combining for 80 points in a close game. But the 49ers are still winless, while in the midst of a long rebuild. And they're poised to suffer from poor quarterback play the entirety of this season. The Rams should win this game, especially at home to end the regular season.
3. At Arizona (Dec. 3): The Rams went into their bye week following a 33-0 beatdown of the Arizona Cardinals from Twickenham Stadium, dominating in all three phases. Carson Palmer broke his left arm in that game, joining star running back David Johnson on injured reserve. The Cardinals aren't strong enough or deep enough to sustain two losses like that; very few teams could. The Rams will next have to play them on the road, but Arizona should be a very beatable opponent while Drew Stanton is the quarterback.
4.Vs. Houston (Nov. 12): The Houston Texans' season suffered a serious blow when standout defensive linemen J.J. Watt and Whitney Mercilus were ruled out for the season in Week 5. But the Texans (3-4) have responded. Their defense dominated the Cleveland Browns the following week, and they almost pulled out a victory on the road against the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, after their bye. Rookie quarterback Deshaun Watson is playing exceptionally well and will present problems.
5. Vs. New Orleans (Nov. 26): The New Orleans Saints humiliated the Rams with a 49-21 win at Mercedes-Benz Superdome last season. Yes, things are different now, but the Saints (5-2) have won five in a row. They've long been a team that relied heavily on Drew Brees' arm, but now their defense has stepped up, creating turnovers and pressuring the quarterback. And they actually have a running game, behind Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara. This is a more balanced Saints team than we're used to.
6. At Minnesota (Nov. 19): The Vikings, 6-2 heading into their bye, are clicking on offense and defense. They've lost standout rookie running back Dalvin Cook for the season, but Latavius Murray and Jerick McKinnon have picked up the slack on the ground, while Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen make up quite possibly the game's best wide receiver duo. The Vikings have held opponents below 20 points in seven of eight games with a defense led by Everson Griffen, who already has 10 sacks.
7. At Tennessee (Dec. 24): The Tennessee Titans (4-3) have been inconsistent, but they're still in a good place. And they should be better down the stretch if they can get healthy. Their three-headed rushing attack and strong offensive line make them a tough matchup late in the season, especially on the road. With Marcus Mariota still waiting to play his best football, this team still has some upside.
8. Vs. Philadelphia (Dec. 10): If both teams continue their trajectory, this might be one of the most highly anticipated games of the 2017 regular season. The Philadelphia Eagles (7-1) look like the NFC's best team, and Carson Wentz -- taken No. 2 overall in 2016, one spot behind fellow quarterback Jared Goff -- is playing like an MVP candidate. But he also has so much around him, including a standout defense, a solid running game and the NFL's most productive tight end in Zach Ertz. The Eagles are for real.
9. At Seattle (Dec. 17): The Rams should have beaten the Seahawks (5-2) earlier this season. They turned the ball over five times in their Week 5 matchup against them, most of them avoidable, and still could've won had Cooper Kupp hauled in Goff's pass with only seconds remaining. But the Rams were at home on this day. This game will be in Seattle, where the Seahawks have won 10 of their past 11 regular-season games.