Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints: NFC championship game pick

The Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints rematch in the NFC championship feels like the marquee matchup of the entire playoff weekend.

Everybody knows what these two teams are capable of when it comes to scoring points. Now put them indoors on a fast track with the desperation of a championship game berth at stake? It’s bound to lead to some fireworks. New Orleans held serve in the last meeting but this Rams team seems to have experienced considerable growth over the past couple of months. Will it be enough to see them through to the promised land?

Storylines:

Old guns vs. young guns – This is quite the fun setup since it’s almost literally two teams that are mirrors of each other, most notably at the head coach and quarterback spots. Sean Payton and Drew Brees first made that sort of combo famous back in 2006. Sean McVay and Jared Goff have since popularized it even further. This marks a showdown to see which combination is truly the best in the NFL when it comes to this style of team building.

Conquering the dome – People might not be understanding just how big of a challenge the Rams are facing on Sunday. Sure winning a playoff game on the road is always tough, but it’s especially difficult when it comes to the Superdome. Payton and Brees are undefeated there in the playoffs, going a perfect 6-0 since they first united back in 2006. The Saints haven’t lost there since January of 1993. McVay was 7-years old and Goff wasn’t even born yet.

Injuries:

Benjamin Watson – The only injury of note for either team comes from the Saints side. Their starting tight end Watson is dealing with appendicitis. The hope was doctors would be able to calm the issue down enough for him to play but it doesn’t appear that will be possible. Expectations are he’ll be declared inactive. While it’s far from a crippling loss to that offense, it does make it more of a challenge for Brees.

Key matchups:

Michael Thomas vs. Marcus Peters – It’s not an exaggeration to say that Peters has had his worst season as a pro in 2018. No game punctuated that reality more than when he went against Michael Thomas during these teams’ first meeting in the regular season. The star receiver exploded for 211 yards and a touchdown with several of his key catches coming at Peters’ expense. The Rams absolutely can’t afford a repeat of that.

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Todd Gurley vs. Demario Davis – The Rams seem to have rediscovered their ground attack after a brief hiatus and Gurley led the way, as usual, gashing the Cowboys for 115 yards and a touchdown. It’s likely that McVay will work much harder to get him going this time around in New Orleans. In the last meeting, Gurley only ran 13 times but for 64 yards. That should change. The Saints will need linebacker Demario Davis to lead that front seven in not allowing him to go off.

X-factors:

Jared Goff – Thus far the Rams quarterback has looked fairly ordinary in the playoff. Both of his performances dating back to last season have failed to crack an 80+ passer rating. One has the undeniable feeling that if this team is going to win a Super Bowl, they’ll need a lot more from their young quarterback. He did throw for 390 yards and three touchdowns the last time he was in New Orleans, but that was November with far less at stake.

Alvin Kamara – The Rams didn’t have an answer for Kamara on their last trip to the dome. While Thomas was gashing them on the outside, the running back was doing it on the inside. He ran for 82 yards, caught four passes for 34 more and scored three touchdowns. His versatility is one of the big reasons the Saints are so hard to stop. It will be on the linebackers and safeties to somehow keep him under control.

Prediction: Saints win 27-24

It wouldn’t surprise if this game was another shootout but the pressure of the Super Bowl being at stake will likely keep the points scored a bit lower than normal. Expect L.A. to also control the clock a bit better with their running game and stop Brees from blowing it open. There will be big plays and lead changes but in the end, it comes down to the quarterbacks. At some point, Goff will be asked to deliver a clutch drive. He has four this year, but this time he’ll fall short.

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