Preview: Rams at Falcons in Monday Night Showdown ATLANTA (Interstat) — A surging Los Angeles Rams team seeking to solidify its playoff standing will face an Atlanta Falcons squad clinging to faint postseason hopes when they meet Monday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Rams (11-4) enter the Dec. 29 contest after a heartbreaking 38-37 overtime loss at Seattle last Thursday, a game in which quarterback Matthew Stafford passed for 387 yards and two touchdowns. Despite the defeat, Los Angeles has won seven of its last nine games. Stafford has been prolific during that stretch, throwing for at least 281 yards in four of his last five outings, including a 368-yard, two-touchdown performance in a 41-34 win over Detroit on Dec. 14. Atlanta (6-9) kept its slim chances alive with a 26-19 road victory over Arizona last Sunday. Quarterback Kirk Cousins, who threw for 197 yards and two touchdowns in that win, has been inconsistent. He followed a 373-yard, three-touchdown effort in a comeback win at Tampa Bay on Dec. 11 with a 162-yard outing in a 37-9 loss to Seattle. The Falcons’ ground game, led by Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, provides a consistent threat. Robinson totaled 168 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown last week. Defensively, the Rams will aim to pressure Cousins and contain the Atlanta run game. The Falcons’ defense, which allowed 37 points to Seattle two weeks ago, faces a stern test against Stafford and a multifaceted Rams offense featuring running backs Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. According to National Statistical’s game simulator, Atlanta is projected to win 30-25. Oddsmakers have installed the Falcons as a 7.5-point favorite, with an over/under of 49.5 points. The game holds significant implications for both teams’ final-week positioning. A Rams win would bolster their seeding in the NFC playoff picture, while a Falcons loss would mathematically eliminate them from contention. Kickoff is set for 8:15 p.m. EST Monday.