NFC Game Of The Week
Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints
Rams: For weeks, many people had said they haven’t really been tested and I disagree with that because the Seattle Seahawks gave them a good fight back in week five and they escaped that game with a two-point win, 33-31. I think they were really tested on Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, a team that experts thought they would stomp over and get the easy W but let’s be realistic here, no win is ever easy in the National Football League at the end of the day and that’s just a true fact. What makes a team great is how they are able to win games in a variety of different ways and what I mean by that is they’re able to dominate you and blow you out and they can win the close battles and have to grind it out for the win and that is exactly what they had to do on Sunday against Green Bay who really gave them all they could. But here they are sitting at 8-0 and they remain the only undefeated team standing in the league. This team battles and they play from the first whistle to the last whistle each and every week and it also starts with coaching. Sean McVay has this football team ready to go each and every week and it shows. The best teams are the ones that are prepared and you see it on the field weekly. There’s been only one issue though that the Rams have had and that’s Marcus Peters giving up the huge plays down the football field each week and it concerns me because teams will take that into factor with their gameplan. This is another big game for the Rams on Sunday when they travel to the Big Easy to face one of the hottest teams in the league right now.
Saints: Six wins in a row and counting. That’s where the New Orleans Saints stand right now and I will still continue to shake my head at the people who threw the towel in on them earlier in the year. They haven’t lost a game since week one and I was never really concerned because it was early number one and number two, I will never count out a football team with Drew Brees under center at quarterback. They’re still a strong team and this is the best I’ve ever seen Drew Brees look and here’s how good he’s been this year: He just threw his first interception on Sunday night against the Minnesota Vikings. What I admire about the Saints is how they gameplan because they aren’t your typical “dome team”. When they’re on the road, they have to change things up because they can’t move the way they would in the Super Dome and what I mean by them not being your typical dome team is when they know they have to run the football, they can do just that and they still have the best tandem of running backs in the league in Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram. I also think the Saints have one of the four best wide receivers in the game right now and he hails from the Ohio State University and his name is Michael Thomas and as a receiver, this guy can do everything. He’s a threat on the perimeter but I think he does his best work in the slot and he just quietly goes about his business. The other night on Twitter, I called him a modern-day Marvin Harrison because he’s quiet and just goes about his business. One of the biggest reasons the Saints were so successful last year was because of their defense and the improvement they made all around. This year, they aren’t as strong as they were a year ago, but they’re starting to improve. For the winning streak to improve to seven, they will have to take down the top dog in the NFC and maybe even the league at the moment.
Rams Player To Watch: Mark Barron– On a defense full of playmakers, he’s the guy that can do the most. He’s now a linebacker that was once a safety so he can drop back in coverage and he can also stay in the box to help with the pass rush and stopping the run. He’ll be vital in trying to limit Kamara when he catches the football.
Saints Player To Watch: Sheldon Rankins– Since the Saints drafted him out of Louisville, he’s been a nice player for them. In today’s game, you’re seeing more interior defensive linemen able to rush the passer from the inside and he can do that along with helping clog up the lanes to stop the run.
Final Analysis: At this point, these are the two best teams in the NFC and it’ll be fun to see them battle on Sunday afternoon. These two teams met last year in Los Angeles and the Rams snapped the Saints winning streak. A year later, the Saints are streaking once again and they face the Rams, this time at their place in New Orleans. The Saints defense put a ton of pressure on Kirk Cousins in Minnesota and they will need to amp up that pressure to stop Jared Goff. These Saints corners need to be ready for the receivers they will see and with Eli Apple still new and learning the system, I’d have help over the top so the Rams don’t attack him. If I’m the Rams, sustaining long drives is key to keep Drew on the sideline and their defense also needs to play better.
Prediction: Saints 34 Rams 31
