Saints 2023 Week 16 Preview
Saints Head West to Lock Horns with Rams
Believe it or not, the New Orleans Saints have a straightforward path to the NFC South title and control their playoff destiny, even with how this season-to-forget has turned out thus far. It begins with a primetime matchup versus NFC foe the Los Angeles Rams. Derek Carr is coming off arguably his best performance of the season, in which he led the Saints to defeat the Giants 24-6. The Rams are hosting after beating the Washington Commanders 28-20 in week 15.
The Matchup:
Separation was created amongst the three teams competing for the NFC South divisional title with New Orleans and Tampa Bay earning victories, while the “dirty bird” Falcons fell against the lowly Panthers. Heavy playoff implications are on the line in this matchup as both squads sit at 7-7 in a highly congested wild card race. The 49ers have already staked claim of the NFC West; the Rams will be more competitive for one of the final two wildcard spots realistically-available.
Series History:
The Saints and Rams have a long and storied history consisting of 78 total contests and two postseason games. The Rams lead the all-time series with a record of 43-35. They’ve split the playoff matchups as the Saints won a 2000 wildcard game, and the Rams took the 2019 NFC Championship following the controversial no-call heard around-the-world.
Team Rankings Comparison:
| Rank (Week 15) | Saints | Rams |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 7-7 (2nd NFC South) | 7-7 (2nd NFC West) |
| Scoring Avg. | 22.1 (13) | 23.4 (9) |
| Opp. Scoring Avg. | 19.1 (6) | 22.1 (19) |
| Total Off. | 334.5 (14) | 357.2 (8) |
| Rushing Off. | 103.2 (19) | 121.3 (11) |
| Passing Off. | 231.3 (14) | 235.9 (11) |
| Total Def. | 311.9 (11) | 336.9 (18) |
| Rushing Def. | 126.4 (24) | 110.8 (14) |
| Passing Def. | 185.4 (6) | 226.1 (21) |
| Turnover Margin | +5 (9) | -2 (18) |
| Penalties | 85 (15) | 81 (20) |
| Penalty Yards | 780 (6) | 659 (20) |
Current Injury Report:
Saints-
Chris Olave, WR, Probable, Ankle
Cameron Jordan, DE, Questionable, Ankle
Kendre Miller, RB, Questionable, Ankle
Isaiah Foskey, DE, Out, Quadricep
Lonnie Johnson Jr., S, Out, Knee
Ryan Ramczyk, T, Out, Knee
Payton Turner, DE, Out, Toe
Rams-
Tre Tomlinson, DB, Out, Hamstring
Joe Noteboom, OL, Questionable, Foot
Final Thoughts/Prediction:
Have the Saints saved their best for last? I would like to believe so, but unfortunately, I cannot do that. The Saints played their best game of the season last week, definitively so, but come on now. It was against the Giants. The Saints will face stiff competition from a desperate Rams squad fighting for the same respect as New Orleans. Matthew Stafford has been on a tear lately, and I can’t trust Carr and the offense to keep up with the scoring. It will be a close, tightly contested ballgame, but I think the Saints fall in a “gotta have it” type of game, 23-20, Rams.
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