Los Angeles Rams: Gamble pays off big after slow start

Just when things looked somewhat bleak in the Big Easy, the visiting Los Angeles Rams rallied to beat the Saints thanks to a key decision by their head coach.

Any team or anybody looking for the next Sean McVay will now be able to find the original version in Atlanta come Super Bowl week. The Los Angeles Rams overcame a forgettable start and rallied for a startling 26-23 overtime victory over the host New Orleans Saints in the NFC Championship Game. The franchise is headed back to the Super Bowl for the first time since 2001.

It certainly didn’t look good for McVay’s squad less than 15 minutes into the game. With 1:35 left in the first quarter, the Saints had already opened up a 13-0 lead and outgained the Rams 125-5 in total yards. Dennis Allen’s defense had shackled the second-highest scoring team in the league in 2018.

But on the second play of the second quarter, the Rams’ second-year head coach opted for a fake punt on fourth down. On fourth-and-5 from their own 30-yard line, punter Johnny Hekker once again came up big with his arm, as he has done on many occasions.

He and Sam Shields combined for a 12-yard completion. It was a play that only resulted in a field goal. But it seemed to loosen up a tight Rams’ team that dominated the rest of the game for the most part.

So after being down by 13 points and outgained by 120 yards in less than one quarter of play, the Los Angeles Rams closed strong. They outscored the Saints, 26-10, and won the total yardage battle convincingly for the rest of the afternoon, 373-165.

Yes, there was one very unfortunate bad call that came at the expense of the home team late in regulation. And perhaps things would have been different if that had been ruled correctly. But at the very least, McVay changed the mindset of his own team after a sluggish start. And there’s a lot to be said about that when it comes to this young coach.