Rams opposition research: Breaking down the Saints...

Rams opposition research: Breaking down the Saints

Andrew Ortenberg

[theramswire.usatoday.com]

The Los Angeles Rams are the last remaining unbeaten team in the NFL, standing at 8-0 at the halfway point. This week, they’ll get their toughest test of the season when they travel to New Orleans to take on the Saints. The Saints only have one loss, and have playmakers on both offense and defense. Here’s what the Rams can expect on both sides of the ball:

Offense

The only offense in the NFC that can challenge the Rams for best in the conference is the Saints. Like the Rams, the Saints have a very solid offensive line, an elite running back who can be used in the passing game, and very talented wide receivers. Also like the Rams, the one weak spot of this New Orleans offense is at tight end, where 37-year-old Benjamin Watson is the top option.

The Saints have a two-headed monster in the backfield with Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara. Ingram is more of the between the tackles pure runner while they like to get Kamara in space on the outside and isolated on linebackers in the passing game. Kamara is a game-breaker capable of shredding a defense in a manner similar to Todd Gurley, and will present a tough test for the Rams’ linebackers.

Michael Thomas is one of the best receivers in the league, and the Rams’ secondary will have a tough time slowing him down. They also have an emerging deep threat in rookie Tre’Quan Smith, who has stepped up nicely since Ted Ginn went down. The Saints have surely been paying attention to Marcus Peters’ tendency to get burned in recent weeks, so it would be surprising if they don’t attempt a few balls down the field to Smith.

The key to slowing down the Saints offense will be getting pressure on Brees, particularly up the middle. As a smaller quarterback, Brees often struggles throwing over pressure that comes right up the gut. This is a game where Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh could have a massive impact and potentially win the game for the Rams.

Defense

It’s been an up and down season for the Saints’ defense. At times they’ve looked like the very solid unit they developed into last season, and at times they’ve looked like the absolute sieve they were in 2016 and earlier.

The secondary has been terrible overall, but has shown signs of improvement in recent weeks. The Saints have a history of slow starts, so it’s possible the defense is really trending upward at the right moment. The numbers thus far though, aren’t pretty. They’re 28th in the NFL in passing yards per game, and give up 8.7 yards per pass attempt.

On the other hand, they’ve been the best run-defense team in the entire league. They’ve only given up 74.1 rushing yards per game, by far the lowest of any team, and only give up 3.2 yards per carry. They have an extremely talented defensive front led by Cameron Jordan, Alex Okafor, and Sheldon Rankins. Talented rookie pass-rusher Marcus Davenport will miss the game with a toe injury, but that shouldn’t impact things too much.

It’s highly possible the Saints could shut down the Rams’ ground game, and force them to be one dimensional. That should be fine, as long as the Rams can keep Jared Goff upright. The only times the Rams’ offense has struggled this year are when Goff is under pressure, and the offensive line can’t afford to crack at all.

The bottom line:

This is the most talented team the Rams have faced this year. The crucial matchup on both sides of the ball is in the trenches, and the offensive and defensive line play of both teams will certainly determine the winner. If Goff has time to throw, he should be able to carve up the New Orleans secondary, but that’s not a given. If Donald and Suh can get some pressure up the middle, they should be able to slow down the Saints’ dynamic offense.