Winners of five out of their last six games, the Los Angeles Rams are rolling and look like a sneaky threat to make the postseason and give teams a run for their money.
Despite some shaky play late in games, the Rams have been able to hold on for multiple wins and are in a position to secure their playoff spot with a win over the New York Giants. Los Angeles needs help, though, as they also need the Seattle Seahawks to lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers or for the Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings to tie.
Los Angeles can only control their own performance and must worry about beating New York before they can start looking at results from around the league.
Rams Offense vs. Giants Defense
The Giants have a below-average defense, meaning that Matthew Stafford and company should have another field day moving the football and scoring. New York’s secondary has been better as of late, but they’re susceptible to running backs so Kyren Williams is in line for another heavy workload.
Puka Nacua is on the cusp of breaking the rookie record for most receiving yards, so he should find himself with plenty of targets with the Giants looking to slow down Cooper Kupp. Meanwhile, Demarcus Robinson has been a pleasant surprise as a third option and could see his fair share of opportunities given his budding chemistry with Stafford.
Rams Defense vs. Giants Offense
After a rough first half in the loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Tommy DeVito heads back the bench and Tyrod Taylor will start at quarterback for the Giants against the Rams. However, the change under center doesn’t change the New York offense much as Saquon Barkley will get all the opportunities he can handle.
Los Angeles has been one of the best run-stuffing defenses the past month, though they get a different challenge in Barkley who finds ways to score despite the lackluster offensive options on his team.
Keys to Victory
1. All eyes on Saquon Barkley
The Giants offense lives and dies with Barkley, but Raheem Morris should be well-aware of that and will likely stuff the box with defenders to limit the damage he does on the ground. He’s also a capable pass-catcher, so keeping a spy on him in the flat and short areas of the field will be crucial.
2. Continue to feed Kyren Williams
Williams crossed the 1,000 rushing yards mark in the win over the New Orleans Saints, and there’s no reason to stop feeding the running back.
