Rams Hold Off Saints, Strengthen Wild Card Bid

The Los Angeles Rams are officially one of the hottest teams in the NFL after their huge win over the New Orleans Saints.

Matt Galatzan | Dec 21, 2023

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Los Angeles Rams

The Los Angeles Rams have ostensibly been in the playoffs for the last six weeks.

With almost zero margin for error since their loss to the Packers at Lambeau Field, the Rams could not afford many more setbacks for the remainder of the year.

And with that mindset, the Rams have gone on a tear, now winning five of their last six games with their 30-22 win of the New Orleans Saints in L.A. on Thursday Night Football.

Things got started quickly for the Rams as well, with Matthew Stafford and Puka Nacua leading the offense down the field for an opening drive touchdown.

Shortly after that, a field goal extended the lead to two scores, with the Rams looking to be in firm control.

The Saints were able to answer after that, with QB Derek Carr connecting on a long touchdown pass. But after that, the Rams asserted their dominance rattling off 20 unanswered points, to take a 30-7 lead.

Then, the Saints made things a little tense at SoFi, scoring 15 unanswered points of their own to cut the game to one score at 30-22.

The Rams were able to seal things from there, however, taking home the critical win.

WATCH: Rams Strike First in Pivotal 'Thursday Night Football' Game vs. Saints

And once again Stafford was the straw that stirred the drink of the Rams' offense, finishing the game by completing 24 of 34 passes for 328 yards and two touchdowns, extending his streak of stellar play.

Stafford also at least six passes to three different receivers, including Nacua, who finished the game with nine catches for 164 yards and a score. DeMarcus Robinson also had another big ga,e, catching six passes for 82 yards and a touchdown of his own.

Then, of course, there was running back Kyren Williams, who has emerged as a star this season, ending Thursday night with 22 rushes for 104 yards and a touchdown, and becoming the first Rams running back to eclipse 1,000 yards since Todd Gurley in 2018.

WATCH: Matthew Stafford Extends Rams Lead With TD To DeMarcus Robinson

Following the battle with the Saints, the Rams (8-7) will continue their playoff push next week when they head east to take on the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on New Year's Eve.

Luckily for the Rams, they will have plenty of time to get ready for the critical matchup, with 10 days until kickoff in East Rutherford, NJ.

Published Dec 21, 2023

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan the Editor-In-Chief of RamDigest.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network. When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later. Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered. Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels. For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com