Something has to give in New Orleans this weekend as the Saints put their six-game winning streak on the line against the 8-0 Los Angeles Rams.
Los Angeles Rams survived a scare last week when Ty Montgomery denied Aaron Rodgers the chance to lead a two-minute drill by fumbling away the kickoff. Other teams have played the Rams tough, but this was the first time they looked vulnerable.
LA responded with a trade deadline deal that brought pass rusher Dante Fowler to Los Angeles from Jacksonville. Fowler needed to get out from behind Calais Campbell and Yannick Ngakoue if he was going to recover his swagger at the end of his five-year rookie deal.
Now, he’ll line up next to Aaron Donald and Ndamukong Suh, and as they say, you can’t block everybody.
New Orleans’ defense is showing signs of life after a woeful start. The Saints added third-year cornerback Eli Apple last week and he already made his way into the starting lineup.
With Mark Ingram back on the roster alongside Alvin Kamara, things are looking up for the Saints. Not that they have been rolling people over during their streak.
In the two games since their bye, New Orleans pulled out a victory in Baltimore after placekicker Justin Tucker missed the first extra point of his career, and followed that up with a 120-yard passing effort against Minnesota that the Saints defense helped win.
Injuries and notes
Defensive end Marcus Davenport will miss Sunday’s action for the Saints with a toe injury. Mitchell Loewen is listed as questionable on the other side of the line.
Cooper Kupp is still listed as questionable for the Rams but is expected to line up Sunday.
Fowler is in practice and slated to start Sunday.
Coaching matchup
Sean McVay is simply ridiculous. Just the thought that Green Bay might have won a game because Aaron Rodgers was able to avoid his pass rush was enough to spend some draft equity and secure a quality rusher with something to prove. He continues to hit all the right buttons.
Sean Payton is living a charmed life this season, too. If not for the Fitzmagic phenomenon of Week 1, this would be a battle of unbeaten. As it is, this game could determine home field advantage come playoff time. That’s more than what some pundits expected out of New Orleans.
How to watch the Saints-Rams game
Fans in the greater Denver area will be forced to watch the Broncos take on the Texans Sunday. As for the rest of the nation. Fox sports will deliver the Saints-Rams showdown to your television.
Or maybe, they’ll deliver it to your computer or Ipad or cell phone thanks to Fubo TV.
Fubo TV and other internet television providers like Sling and DirecTV Now let you watch live stream NFL action all season on your favorite internet device. It’s just like cable or satellite but at a fraction of the cost.
Use their trial period to watch this game for free. When the game is over, explore what else Fubo, Sling, or DirecTV offer to your home.
Read More: NFL Week 17 Game Preview: 49ers at Rams
Who will win the Saints-Rams game?
Drew Brees might be thankful that the Packers didn’t pull out the win last week in Los Angeles. Let the Rams think they are invincible until the all-time leading passer in history sneaks up on them.
But the near-miss might be enough for the Rams defense to finally kick things into gear this week. Los Angeles has answered all comers so far. They will this week, too.