New Orleans Saints: 5 Bold predictions vs. Rams, Week 2

4. The Saints shut down the Rams running attack

The next prediction is another one for the defense but it’s a bit less specific. Rather than focusing on one player, this one is about the Saints defensive play as a whole. As mentioned in the previous slide, the Saints were able to stifle the Texans’ run game. They held both Duke Johnson and Carlos Hyde to under 100 yards as individuals and held them both under 200 yards combined.

While the Texans relied on Deshaun Watson, the Rams are relying on Goff. And last week, Goff struggled. Against the Panthers, Goff threw for fewer than 200 yards along with one touchdown to one interception. However, the Rams finished the game with two rushing touchdowns as the Panthers couldn’t keep Malcolm Brown out of the end zone. As the Panthers defense isn’t among the top tier in the NFL, that’s no surprise.

However, facing off against the Saints defense is an entirely new challenge for the Rams. The Saints D is arguably even better against the run than they were last season. Last season, they faced off against Gurley and held him to 68 yards, which is certainly replicable, even with Brown in the mix.

Stifling the run will help the Saints get the upper-hand and force Goff to throw. The defense has the potential to control the momentum of the game, even more than the offense. If the Saints defense has a day against the Rams, that could be exactly the type of confidence they need to carry into the rest of the season.