The Los Angeles Rams have been one of the hottest teams in the NFL, and they got a chance to show the nation how well they’ve been playing as they took on the New Orleans Saints on Thursday Night Football in Week 16.
The matchup carried huge playoff implications as the Rams and Saints entered the night both 7-7, with the former holding onto the final Wild Card spot while the latter remains in the mix for the NFC South crown.
Los Angeles got off to a strong start in the first half, and despite some miscues in the fourth quarter, they held on to beat New Orleans 30-22 and bolster their postseason odds.
The Rams were hot from the get-go as Ernest Jones killed the Saints’ first offensive drive with a sack, while Matthew Stafford led a 14-play, 95-yard touchdown drive that ended with a pass to Puka Nacua. The defense then forced a turnover on downs the next drive as Kobie Turner got to Derek Carr on fourth down.
Los Angeles was able to take advantage of the favorable field position as they set up a chip-shot field goal for Lucas Havrisik thanks to a 28-yard strike from Stafford to Nacua. New Orleans’ offense was out of sorts as they committed a holding penalty that forced them to punt the ball back to L.A.
Matthew Stafford connects with @AsapPuka and we're on the board first!
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— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 22, 2023
BIG TIME SACK FROM @TurnerKobie! 🎶@NFLonPrime | #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/1VPtnVzifH
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 22, 2023
Four-straight games getting in the endzone for @Demarcus ‼️
📺 @NFLonPrime pic.twitter.com/y8IWT832HO
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 22, 2023
.@AsapPuka is unreal.
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— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 22, 2023
Pick, pick, hooray @j_fuller4!!@NFLonPrime | #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/CckGu4pgJp
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 22, 2023
Mama there goes that man @Kyrenwilliams23!
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— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) December 22, 2023
However, the Rams seemed to get rattled after Havirsik missed a 47-yard field goal that allowed the Saints to come back after Carr found Rashid Shaheed downfield for a 45-yard touchdown to make it 10-7. Fortunately, the defense was able to bounce back as they forced their second turnover on downs to give the ball back to Stafford and company.
Stafford scrambled out of pressure and found Demarcus Robinson for a 32-yard catch. It was fitting that Robinson ended the drive after he caught a four-year touchdown pass to make it 20-7 in favor of Los Angeles at halftime.
The third quarter played out like the first as the Rams scored 10 unanswered points, with Kyren Williams adding to his rushing touchdown total for the season. However, the Saints nearly made a furious comeback in the fourth as they scored 15 points, but the Rams held on after Nacua secured the on-side kick and earned a first down to kill the clock.
Stafford threw over 300 yards, the first time he’s done so in nine games. Meanwhile, Nacua was the star of the night as he recorded 180 yards from scrimmage, breaking the NFL rookie record for most games over 150+ scrimmage yards.
Most importantly, though, Los Angeles is in the driver’s seat when it comes to playoff seeding. The Rams now have a 78% chance to make the playoffs, according to ESPN Analytics. Their chances would have fallen to 17% with a loss.
Up next for Rams…
The Rams can keep this momentum going when they travel east to take on the New York Giants on New Year’s eve. With a win, they very well may be able to clinch a playoff berth depending on some other results around the league.
