The Los Angeles Rams came into Thursday’s game against the New Orleans Saints with a little over a 50-50 chance to make the playoffs. But after picking up their fifth win in their last six games — a 30-22 outing against New Orleans — Los Angeles is much closer to a postseason berth.
The Rams now have around a 69 percent chance to make the playoffs, per The New York Times’ playoff simulator.
Advertisement
Los Angeles picked up the win behind strong performances from its breakout stars, with running back Kyren Williams posting 104 rushing yards and a touchdown and receiver Puka Nacua tallying 164 receiving yards and a touchdown.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford finished with 328 yards and two touchdown passes — both in the first half. He found Nacua early in the first quarter and Demarcus Robinson just before halftime to give Los Angeles a 17-7 lead.
The Rams led by as many as 23 points. In the fourth quarter, New Orleans’ offense found some life with quarterback Derek Carr, who passed for 319 yards, three touchdowns and an interception on the day and was able to connect with Juwan Johnson and A.T. Perry for scores to pull New Orleans within a score.
Los Angeles was able to recover an onside kick, however, and kill the clock to seal the win.
GO DEEPER
Rams have say over playoff destiny after beating Commanders, but can't look ahead too far
Rams overcome poor special teams play
With a win over New Orleans, the Rams have now won five of their last six games after the bye week, including both in the short week, and are firmly in the postseason conversation. While they still have some noticeable weak spots — such as special teams in every phase, which almost let the other team back in the contest two games in a row and well too often this season — for the most part, the Rams showed they are not a team to take lightly in December.
Nacua was the star of Thursday night’s game, with 180 scrimmage yards by the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter, plus a touchdown. Stafford had another strong game, with 328 yards and two touchdowns, with 24 of 34 passes completed.
Nacua fell on an onside kick attempt by New Orleans and then converted a first down on an end-around that helped set the Rams up to kill the rest of the clock on the back side of the two-minute warning.
Where this Rams team has to feel nervous is at kicker and on their punt/coverage units. In two consecutive games, missed field goals and/or gaffes on the punting team have allowed their opponent back in a game. Thursday night, it was an early miss by kicker Lucas Havrisik, and a late chipped punt (Ethan Evans is the rookie punter), the latter of which led to a Saints touchdown after field position at the Los Angeles 35-yard line. It is unfathomable that the issues that have repeated for the Rams all season — their 11 missed field goals in 2023 lead the league and are a record since 2015 — have been the one area of this team where we have not seen improvement. In every other phase, including the young defense, we have. — Jourdan Rodrigue, Rams beat writer
Advertisement
Allen is coaching his way to unemployment
This Saints team hasn’t been good enough to hang with mediocre NFL teams this season. The Rams walked into Week 16 with a mediocre record, but riding a hot streak. So this result from the Saints shouldn’t be much of a surprise as they followed a similar script. It’s another discouraging loss in a season that should’ve been better than this.
New Orleans entered this season with the easiest schedule in the NFL. Many times those numbers from the previous season don’t stand the test of time. This year, the Saints’ schedule actually didn’t get a whole lot tougher, though. And still, the Saints have fallen on their face too much in a year where they entered as a pretty clear favorite to win the NFC South.
Instead, there’s a very real possibility the Saints finish 2023 with a record below the .500 mark, which would be the second time in as many seasons.
There’s a disconnect within this team. It’s clear. And even though Dennis Allen and the Saints have a long history together, his job status is tenuous at best after another inept performance with New Orleans’ season in the balance. — Larry Holder, NFL senior writer
Saints’ season on the brink
The Saints had a 39 percent chance to make playoffs heading into tonight, via The New York Times playoff simulator. A win over the Rams could’ve increased their chances to 71 percent. Instead, New Orleans’ postseason dreams have fallen to 15 percent with the loss.
The Saints had better hope the Jacksonville Jaguars pull off a favor for them this weekend. The Jags face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 16, possibly without starting quarterback Trevor Lawrence. If the Bucs knock off the Jags, the Saints will be in a heap trying to climb back into the NFC South race. New Orleans essentially will face a win-or-stay-home-for-the-postseason scenario if the Bucs win in Week 16 and the Saints fall to Tampa Bay in Week 17. — Holder
Required reading
(Photo: Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty Images)
ncG1vNJzZmismJqutbTLnquim16YvK57lGpsb21jbXxzfJFsZmpqX2d%2BcL7Apqpmq5Geu7W%2FjKyaqKqVYr%2Bmv9Slq2askaCyosPAsqpo