The Los Angeles Rams’ bid for an undefeated season is over. After starting the year 8-0, the Rams finally fell in a hard-fought game against the Saints. While it was a tough loss, especially because the Rams came battling all the way back only to come up short in the end, it’s not the end of the world.

In fact, there are even some positives to losing this game. That might sound crazy, but the team was extremely unlikely to go 16-0 anyway, and a loss right around the midpoint here could prove to be a good thing for several reasons.

For starters, it’s a great reality check and reminder to the team not to get too confident. While there’s no reason to believe anybody in the locker room was taking anything for granted, it’s good for the team to face some adversity earlier on so they’re more prepared to handle any adversity they may face later on down the line.

The loss is a reminder that nothing is a given in this league, and that they’ll need to be on the top of their game in all phases to get past the league’s elite teams when the playoffs roll around. It was also a great test in case the Rams have to play a road playoff game this year, as New Orleans is one of the toughest environments to play in and always has a playoff-like atmosphere.

While the Rams would like to win as many games as possible, this loss also wasn’t a massive blow to their playoff seeding. The Rams are still in sole possession of the best record in the NFC, and can very easily win the No. 1 overall seed. They have an overall easier schedule than the Saints the rest of the way and should still be considered the favorites to end the year with the best record in the conference and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. If they don’t edge out the Saints, the worst case scenario still seems to be the second seed and a bye in the first round, as there aren’t really any other serious challengers.

The loss also inspired some much-need reflection and soul searching from Rams players who have been struggling. Cornerback Marcus Peters acknowledged his recent struggles and took full responsibility when speaking to the press after the game. The loss seemed like a wake-up call for him, and should spur the team to work even harder leading up to pivotal matchups against the Seahawks and Chiefs the next couple of games.

Overall it was a disappointing day for Rams fans, but could ultimately prove to be exactly what the team needed. All the players have been humbled, and they should all be locked in and focused on the tough challenges in the coming weeks. The number one seed is still there for the taking, so the actual impact of the loss could be nothing. And although the defeat highlighted some concerns many have about the team (looking at you, secondary), there are definitely some positives to take away from it.