Why Sunday’s Rams-Saints showdown is the most important game of ‘18...

Why Sunday's Rams-Saints showdown is the most important game of 2018

Cameron DaSilva

[theramswire.usatoday.com]

With all the hoopla surrounding the Dante Fowler Jr. trade, it’s easy to forget the Los Angeles Rams have a game to play on Sunday – and a big one, at that. After narrowly beating the Green Bay Packers in Week 8, the Rams will head to the Southeast where they’ll take on the New Orleans Saints on Sunday at the Superdome.

The first half of the season was essentially a breeze for the 8-0 Rams, but the second half of the schedule is no cake walk. Sunday’s showdown with the Saints is undoubtedly the Rams’ most important game of 2018. Yes, more important than that heavyweight matchup with the Chiefs in Mexico City two-plus weeks from now.


Aside from the fact that the Rams are underdogs for the first time, let’s take a look at the playoff implications that come with this game. As of now, the Rams (8-0) have a 1.5-game lead on the Saints (6-1) in the NFC. With that in mind, New Orleans can’t tie the Rams or take over the No. 1 seed with a win.

However, if the Saints were to put the first blemish on L.A.’s record, it would give them a far better chance to finish the season as the top team in the NFC, earning home-field advantage. They’d be just a half-game behind with the Rams having their bye two weeks later.

In that case, if both teams were to run the table the rest of the season, the Saints would be the No. 1 seed and the NFC side of the playoff bracket would go through the Superdome. Needless to say, that’s not what the Rams want to happen. Fortunately, running the table will be a difficult proposition for the Saints. Here’s their remaining schedule compared to the Rams’.

Week Rams Saints
10 vs. Seahawks (4-3) @ Bengals (5-3)
11 vs. Chiefs (7-1) vs. Eagles (4-4)
12 BYE vs. Falcons (3-4)
13 @ Lions (3-4) @ Cowboys (3-4)
14 @ Bears (4-3) @ Buccaneers (3-4)
15 vs. Eagles (4-4) @ Panthers (5-2)
16 @ Cardinals (2-6) vs. Steelers (4-2-1)
17 vs. 49ers (1-7) vs. Panthers (5-2)
The Saints pretty clearly have a more difficult record, especially with the Rams having two easy wins to close out the season against the Cardinals and 49ers. This current stretch of games against the Saints, Seahawks, Chiefs, Lions and Bears will essentially determine where they finish in the playoff standings and whether the NFC will go through L.A.

Let’s say the Rams beat the Saints on Sunday. In that event, Los Angeles would grab a strong hold on the conference with a phenomenal chance to claim the No. 1 see. They’d be 9-0 compared to the Saints, who would be 6-2. That’s a 2.5-game lead on the Saints and every other team, even if the 5-2 Redskins and 5-2 Panthers win this weekend.

Again, the Rams’ remaining schedule is far from a breeze, but it’d be difficult to see them relinquishing that sort of lead to the Saints, Redskins or Panthers. This is exactly why Sunday’s battle is the most important game remaining on the Rams’ slate of games and will have far greater playoff implications than even the clash in Mexico City.