New Orleans Saints: 4 Keys to beating Rams in NFC Championship

The New Orleans Saints are on their way to the NFC Championship against the Rams again. To get the win, the Saints should consider these 4 suggestions.

The NFC Championship matchup is finally set. It’s a predictable matchup, but the New Orleans Saints are taking on the Los Angeles Rams. This is a game that we’ve seen before, but one that’s still exciting. Both teams have dominated their respective divisions and earned the No. 1 and 2 seeds in the NFC.

The Rams started off the season strong before falling off the wagon a little bit. They dealt with the adversity and played a tough game against the Dallas Cowboys in the Divisional Round. It was close — though maybe not as close as the final score — but the Rams got the job done.

In heading back to New Orleans, the Rams have a lot to confront. They’re playing the team who ended their winning streak in the regular season and picked them apart. It was a tough game and the Rams were simply outplayed. It was a slight blow to their confidence, but the team proved themselves in wins over the Cowboys, Chiefs and Seahawks.

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As for the Saints, things seem to be working out fabulously. They beat the Eagles to advance to taking on the Rams again. Having played both teams previously, is a huge advantage. Thus far in the playoffs, the Saints defense has been their shining star, but Drew Brees and Michael Thomas lit up the Eagles in a big way as well.

Since the Saints already beat the Rams, there’s a lot of hype around this game. That’s also because it’s the NFC Championship Game. Either way, the Saints are hoping this will finally be their year to get back to the Super Bowl. To ensure a win over the Rams, the team must focus on these four keys to victory.

Looking at the defensive side of the ball, the Saints have to stop the run. Even with Todd Gurley limited, the Rams have a suitable substitute in C.J. Anderson. Anderson and Gurley combined for over 200 yards against the Cowboys last week. The Saints need to rely on Demario Davis to get the job done as he did against the Eagles.

Defensively, the Saints lost a huge playmaker in Sheldon Rankins. Even with the loss of Rankins, they were still able to come up big against the Eagles. To stop the Rams, the Saints need to pressure Goff. Looking back at their last meeting, they got in his face and forced an interception. With Rankins out, the responsibility falls on Cameron Jordan, along with Taylor Stallworth and David Onyemata.

Moving to the offense, the Saints need to strike early. Last week against the Eagles was rough as Brees threw an interception on their first drive. It stopped them in their tracks and they had to regroup. They can’t afford a mistake like that against the Rams, so they need to get an early lead before the Rams can take advantage.

The last time these two teams met, it was a game of cat and mouse, a back and forth affair. This time, the Saints need to take the lead early and keep it. If they don’t, then they could be kissing their ticket to the Super Bowl goodbye.

The final key for the Saints to beat the Rams is simply for Brees to throw to Thomas. Their connection has been outstanding in the regular season and the postseason. Thomas had a huge game against the Eagles with 171 receiving yards and a touchdown.

If Brees is throwing to Thomas, he’s going to take advantage. Brees to Thomas was killer in their last meeting as well. Getting the ball to Thomas is a recipe for success and if they can keep it up, the offense will be golden. Coming off an exciting win over the Eagles, the Saints are feeling confident. And if they adhere to these keys to winning, they’ll be back in the Super Bowl.