The Los Angeles Rams will be marching into New Orleans on Sunday to take on the Saints. Unlike their bout in Week 9, this is a do or die game that decides who represents the NFC in the Super Bowl.
The last time these teams played, both teams were in different positions. Both teams were on winning streaks and looked unbeatable at the time. In the end, the Saints came away with the victory in Week 9 with a score of 45-35.
Aside from a couple of costly mistakes, the Rams held their own against Drew Brees and company. Michael Thomas had a field day in Week 9, catching 12 passes for 211 yards and one touchdown. Most of the damage came against Marcus Peters and without Aqib Talib even in uniform.
Since then, both teams hit a rough patch before the end of the regular season. The Saints lost to the Dallas Cowboys in dominant fashion and lost to the Carolina Panthers to end the season. The Rams lost to the Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles in back to back weeks. Both teams showed signs of weakness down the stretch.
Things are different now for both squads. The Saints defense is playing better but has lost Sheldon Rankins for the rest of the postseason. On the other side, the Rams have Talib back healthy and have a dominant rushing attack. That attack is shared between a dynamic duo of C.J. Anderson and Todd Gurley.
Gurley was nursing a knee injury in Weeks 16 and 17 before the Rams decided to bring in Anderson. Anderson flourished in Sean McVay's offense, rushing for 399 yards on 43 carries and two touchdowns in those two weeks. In the divisional round against the Cowboys, Anderson's production didn't diminish—even with Gurley returning from injury.
Both running backs were able to annihilate the Cowboys defense, along with the offensive line. Anderson finished with 123 yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns, while Gurley had 115 yards on 16 carries and a score. That type of dominance on the ground could be the game plan that the Rams maintain against the Saints.
Although, the Saints have their own duo of Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram that can hold their own. It'll be interesting to see if both teams come into this one trying to get both of their backs going. Both duos are also similar in the fact that Kamara and Gurley are threats in the passing game, while Anderson and Ingram are bruisers on the ground.
With Rankins being void from the Saints interior on the defensive line, the Rams could have their way again on the ground. McVay would be wise to stick with what's working right now. That is being more physical at the line of scrimmage, while running it to set up the aerial attack.
Anderson may look like he ate Mike Tolbert but his effectiveness is undeniable. His experience deep in the postseason is also valuable to a young team like Los Angeles. Anderson has a Super Bowl ring with the Denver Broncos from 2015. He got to play with a legend like Peyton Manning during that Super Bowl run.
The last time these teams played it was a high-scoring affair with the Saints coming out on top. The Rams would be wise to try and avoid getting into a shootout with the Saints—even though Rams have plenty of weapons to do so. Why throw the ball 50 times when you can pound the rock 40 times and control the clock?
Keeping Brees off of the field is a nice gameplan to have. There's no guarantee that the Rams can have the same effectiveness running the ball against the Saints as they did against the Cowboys. The Rams still have to try and impose their will on New Orleans to set the tone. If they're unable to do so, we could be in for another shootout.
Either way, the game on Sunday is shaping up to be a phenomenal one. You have the battles of the Sean's in Payton and McVay. A veteran quarterback against one of the up and coming stars at the position in Brees and Jared Goff. And of course, you have the unlikely feud between Marcus Peters and Payton.
Sean Payton. Marcus Peters. Part II. I can't wait. You feel me. pic.twitter.com/L9qdSoySyx
— Lindsey Thiry (@LindseyThiry) January 14, 2019
This came after Payton stated that they loved the matchup of Peters on Thomas. We all know how that ended up. This time around we'll likely see Talib on the likes of Thomas. I'm guessing the Saints will do anything they can to get Thomas on Peters as much as possible. Either way, like Peters said: ” It's gumbo week”.
We'll see who will be serving who gumbo after the game Sunday. For the Rams, they could be serving a bowl of punishment once again on the ground with Anderson and Gurley. With how this duo played last week, it's hard for me to pick against the Rams in this one. If the Rams win on Sunday, it will be the first loss at home in the playoffs for Brees while he's been with the Saints.
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