SmashMouth

This was a game for the ages.

The New Orleans Saints and Los Angeles Rams met in the NFL’s marquee game of the week, and it did not disappoint.

Coming into the game, which pitted two of the league’s most explosive offenses, it seemed whichever team made timely plays on defense would emerge victorious.

In the end, that team was the Saints, who won 45-35 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome to improve to 7-1 and take midseason bragging rights at the top team in the NFC.

What went right: The Saints scored touchdowns on five of six possessions in the first half, and just about everything went right.

Alvin Kamara was incredible, scoring three first-half touchdowns as he frequently created yards where the Rams appeared to have him contained. Michael Thomas made some catches with Marcus Peters draped all over him. Drew Brees was precise as a passer and knew when to run a couple times.

Kamara wasn’t as productive in the second half, but Thomas and Brees came up with the biggest play of the game as Thomas caught a 72-yard touchdown pass to give the Saints a 45-35 lead with 3:52 remaining. That catch also helped Thomas set a new single-game franchise record with 211 receiving yards.

The Saints offensive line deserves a ton of credit for neutralizing the Rams pass rush for much of the game. Rams star defensive tackle Aaron Donald made some big plays, but the Saints kept him quiet compared to his typical performance.



Defensively, the Saints knew creating turnovers was key, and linebacker Alex Anzalone made a huge play with an impressive leaping interception in the second quarter. The takeaway came on the first play of a Rams drive, and the Saints’ ensuing touchdown gave them a 35-14 lead.

In the fourth quarter, cornerback P.J. Williams made a few clutch plays that led to two defensive stops, which were critical against a potent Rams offense.

What went wrong: The Rams went on a 21-0 run from late in the second quarter to early in the fourth quarter, which erased the Saints’ 21-point lead.

The Saints defense allowed several big plays, which was the primary reason the game remained close. With 6:23 left in the fourth quarter, the Rams were averaging 9.1 yards per play. That’s unheard of and indicative of how open Rams receivers were throughout the game.

Mark Ingram’s fumble in the second quarter was really the only misstep by the Saints offense in the first half, but the defense forced a turnover on downs after barely stopping a fake field goal.

The Saints offense slowed down a bit in the second half, but the timely Thomas touchdown made

Player of the game: Thomas

NOLA

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