The penultimate edition of “Thursday Night Football” this season could prove crucial to the postseason futures of two NFC teams.
The Los Angeles Rams are currently 7-7 and are in the final wild card spot thanks to tiebreakers. Once an afterthought after a 3-6 start to the playoffs, Sean McVay's team has now won four of its last five games to make a serious postseason push. But with the field crowded and fighting for two spots, there's little room for error on the track.
Meanwhile, the New Orleans Saints are still tied for first place in the NFC South after Los Angeles, but are behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the tiebreaker. The Saints won back-to-back games against the Carolina Panthers and New York Giants to revive their playoff hopes after three games, but bigger tests lie ahead as New Orleans completes divisional contests against the Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons.
USA TODAY Sports provides the latest updates, scores, highlights, wild plays, analysis and more from the Saints-Rams game. Consequences.
Saints vs. Rams begins on Thursday, December 21st at 8:15 p.m. ET.
Saints at Rams streams exclusively on Amazon Prime Video and only airs in local markets.
According to BetMGM NFL odds, the Rams are the favorites to win over the Saints.
- Spread: Rams (-12)
- Money line: Rams (-210); Saints (+170)
- Over/under: 45.5
USA TODAY Sports' personnel picks for this game:
- Lorenzo Reyes: Rams 24, Saints 18 — In a crucial game for the NFC wild-card picture, the Saints are weak against the run and rank 24th in the league in rushing defense. Rams running back Kyren Williams has been extremely productive over the last month and LA wins when he performs well. The recipe here is clear.
- Tyler Dragon: Rams 23, Saints 20 – This primetime game has playoff implications. Both 7-7 teams are fighting for wild card spots in the NFC. Derek Carr is coming off a three-touchdown game, but he's struggling with consistency in a New Orleans uniform. Rams WR Puka Nacua (1,163) needs 311 more receiving yards to set the NFL record for receiving yards by a rookie in a single season. Cooper Kupp, Nacua and the Rams' offense should be able to outscore the Saints in an important game for both clubs.
- Safid Deen: Aries 24, Saints 18 -It's a shame the Rams are just 7-7, but their key players – Matt Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Kyren Williams and Puka Nucua – are finally healthy. The Rams will make the playoffs if they can stay there and should beat the Saints at home on Thursday night.
- Victoria Hernandez: Rams 24, Saints 19 – The Saints were impressive last week with a three-touchdown performance from Derek Carr. But the Rams, buoyed by back-to-back 100-yard games from Cooper Kupp, are playing strong and fighting for a playoff spot and should get this home win.
- Jordan Mendoza: Rams 20, Saints 17 – This will be one of the better matchups of the week as the Saints defense has made life difficult for the offenses while the Rams offense has been clicking in recent weeks. It won't be that big of a feat, but Los Angeles has too many weapons to limit as the Rams pick up another win and retain their playoff spot.
Shohei Ohtani may be on a new team, but he's welcoming the City of Angels.
The baseball superstar, now a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, was in attendance at the Rams-Saints game at SoFi Stadium.
Ohtani was on the field before kickoff and the Rams gifted him a custom jersey with No. 17, the two-way star's number. Not Baker Mayfield's. –Victoria Hernandez
The only player in the NFL to average more scrimmage yards per game than Rams second-year running back Kyren Williams? MVP candidate and Niners running back Christian McCaffrey (128.6 yards per game)
Williams has had five straight games with more than 100 yards from point of attack and is at 114.5 in 10 games this year. He suffered an ankle injury in a Week 6 game against the Arizona Cardinals and missed the Rams' next four games. Williams has averaged 5.6 yards per carry since returning. —Chris Bumbaca
The Detroit Lions are still controlling their own destiny and securing a postseason berth and can even clinch the NFC North title with a win on Sunday over the Minnesota Vikings.
However, depending on the outcome of this game, the Lions could secure their spot in the playoffs, as a Rams loss would secure Detroit's spot in the NFC's seven-seed field. —Chris Bumbaca
Wide receiver Chris Olave (ankle) is active after missing the Saints' Week 15 win over the Giants. Olave — who is 82 yards away from having a 1.00-yard receiving game for the second straight game — was named a full practice participant on Wednesday after missing Monday's practice and being limited on Tuesday. However, the Saints will be without offensive tackle Ryan Ramczyk (knee). The 2019 All-Pro will miss a second straight game and a third game this season.
Inactive Saints players:
- CB Cameron Dantzler Sr.
- QB Jake Haener
- DE Isaiah Foskey
- RB Kendre Miller
- OT Ryan Ramczyk
- LB Monty Rice
Inactive Rams players:
- DB Tre Tomlinson
- RB Zach Evans
- LB Ochaun Mathis
- OL Warren McClendon Jr.
- DE Desjuan Johnson
The Thursday Night Football matchup between the Saints and Rams has massive implications for the wild-card portion of the NFC playoff field… and potentially the NFC South. – Nate Davis
The Saints and Rams' head-to-head series dates back to New Orleans' expansion season in 1967. The Saints' first game was on September 17, 1967 against the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams won that game, but the Saints' John Gilliam ran 94 yards for a touchdown on the first kickoff, marking the milestone for New Orleans.
In total, the two teams met 78 times (including playoffs), with the Rams holding a 43-35 lead in the series.
The two teams were part of the old NFC West division from 1970 to 2001 and competed against each other twice per season.
The Saints and Rams also met twice in the playoffs, and both games were memorable encounters.
The most famous of these, of course, was the 2018 NFC Championship Game. The Rams rallied from a 10-point deficit in the second half to win the game 26-23 and advance to Super Bowl 53. However, we bury the lead here. The game was marred by a controversial no-call against Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman, who appeared to interfere with Tommylee Lewis' pass late in the fourth quarter. The NFL later admitted that there was foul play in the game.
During the 2000 NFL playoffs, the Saints – who had never won a postseason game to that point – hosted the “Greatest Show on Turf” Rams for a thrilling wild card game at the Superdome. The Saints stormed out to a 31-7 lead in the fourth quarter, but the dynamic Rams got within three points. The then-St. Louis Rams were unable to complete the comeback as the Saints won their first ever playoff game. —Jim Reineking
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