The Los Angeles Rams continue to defy expectations this season.
Many preseason pundits predicted the Rams to be the worst team in the NFL this season. Oddsmakers had them winning just six games or less.
Now they are on the brink of making the NFL Playoffs.
Matthew Stafford threw two touchdown passes and the Rams held on to beat the New Orleans Saints, 30-22, on Thursday Night Football at SoFi Stadium.
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“We earned the opportunity to be at this point, in my opinion,” Stafford said. “We've had stakes since the bye, so I'm just proud of the way these guys have put their head down, gone to work and shown up.”
The Rams entered the game with a 52-percent chance of making the playoffs, but needed a win over New Orleans in what was a pseudo-elimination game for both teams.
The victory has now increased the Rams chances of making the postseason to nearly 75 percent, whereas those odds would have dropped to below 15 percent with a loss.
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Los Angeles opened up the scoring with a 14-play, 95-yard, lengthy drive that was punctuated by a Puka Nacua touchdown pass on 4th down.
Nacua finished the game with nine catches for 164 yards and a touchdown. It was the rookie's sixth 100+ yard game of the season, one shy of the all-time rookie receiving record of seven games set by both Odell Beckham Jr. and Justin Jefferson. Nacua is also on-pace to break the all-time record of 1,473 yards for a rookie in a single season.
The Rams had all the momentum and were on the precipice of taking a 13-point lead midway through the second quarter. However, kicker Lucas Havrisik, missed an easy 47-yard field goal, giving the Saints great field position. It was Havrisik's second straight game with a missed field goal of 47 yards or less.
New Orleans took advantage of Havrisik's mistake, with Derek Carr hitting Rashid Shaheed in the end zone for a 45-yard touchdown pass that cut the lead to 10-7.
“We certainly would have liked to start the game and play better, but we didn’t,” said Saints' head coach Dennis Allen after the loss. “We’re not into the percentages. We let an opportunity go by, and now we have to get ready for the things we can control. We’ll regroup. We’re still in this thing."
The Rams defense once again provided the team with a big boost. New Orleans was 0-for-3 on fourth down, committing three turnover on downs during the game.
“It's a short week, so it's tougher to finish,” said Rams' safety John Johnson II. “Maybe the tank hit empty before we wanted it to, but now we can regroup, recharge and get back to it.”
The second turnover on downs proved to be important as the Rams offense took over with 35 seconds remaining in the half and scored a touchdown to take a 17-7 lead into the locker room. Stafford delivered a dime to DeMarcus Robinson in the back of the end zone for the score.
The Rams defense also provided a takeaway when Jordan Fuller intercepted Carr early in the third quarter.
Los Angeles capitalized off the turnover when Kyren Williams rushed up the middle for a 10-yard scamper and score.
Williams finished the game with 22 carries for 103 yards on the ground. Stafford was 24-for-34 for 328 yards and two touchdowns. He had no interceptions.
“He’s extremely difficult,” Allen said of Stafford. “He is playing at an extremely high level. Some of the throws I saw him make were pinpoint on his back foot and under pressure. There were some times we had some good coverage. Look, they were better than us tonight.”
After the game, the Rams jubilant locker room turned into an after-party complete with a DJ, a visit from Shohei Ohtani, and an early Christmas present from head coach Sean McVay: the players are off until Tuesday, a four-holiday that will allow everyone to spend Christmas with their families.
The Rams have won five of their last six games.
SHO-TIME
The newest member of the Los Angeles Dodgers was in attendance to watch the Rams victory over the New Orleans Saints.
Two-time unanimous American League MVP Award winner, Shohei Ohtani, fresh off signing his new 10-year, $700 million contract, was on the sidelines before the game and watched the remainder of it from a suite.
UP NEXT
The Rams (8-7) will now have 10 full days of rest before traveling to New Jersey where they will take on the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium next Sunday at 10:00AM PST.
