ST. LOUIS — A 36-22 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday all but guaranteed that the St. Louis Rams' playoff drought will be extended to eight seasons.

So once again, the Rams (6-7-1) are left playing for pride at the end of the season.

"It is deflating, but you deal with it and you move on," Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. "Our challenge is: Do we want to mope around as a result of a loss to the Vikings and be that team, or do we want to be the team that has win three of its last four games and is going to go out and try to win another one."

The Rams close out the season with road games against Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-8) and Seattle Seahawks (9-5).

"Today, we did not get it done, and now I have to show these guys how to finish strong," Rams running back Steven Jackson said after the loss to the Vikings. "These two games, we want to go out and win. They're going to be tough because they are on the road, but you want something to go into the offseason to build off."

If the Rams win both games, they can post their first winning record since 2003. If they beat the Seahawks, they can go 5-0-1 in the NFC West.

"There is challenges," Fisher said. "From Day 1, we talked about improving, and you just don't stop improving at Week 17 when the game is over. You push right through the season and you push in the offseason and you move forward with improving the big picture with this football team."

Contact reporter Steve Korte at skorte@bnd.com or 239-2522.