http://www.theadvocate.com/new_orle...cle_0028d2b4-b3b9-11e6-bf88-c3205a7770ef.html
Recent history should warn Saints' fans to not take Rams for granted
Yes, I know what you’re thinking Saints fans.
You see the word Rams on the schedule and are probably saying “Finally, we get a breather.”
You’re tired of the nailbiters and want to just enjoy a game in the Dome where you can just hear “Stand up and get crunk” over and over again.
Your hair (well, what’s left of it after pulling it out every week watching all these Saints’ cliffhangers) has been turning gray for the past 10 weeks.
Watching your team lose five of its six losses by six points or less will do that to you.
So finally, you’re probably thinking, you can relax.
The Rams, after all, haven’t had a winning season since 2003.
The offense is the worst scoring offense in the league (14.9 points per game) and it ranks next to last in total offense.
Their quarterback, rookie Jared Goff, will be making just his second start Sunday and will be facing a steadily improving defense that’s been playing lights out in recent weeks.
The change in location from St. Louis to Los Angeles gave them a new home, but they’re still the Rams, you’re telling yourself.
On paper, you’d be correct.
And this looks like one the Saints should win.
But recent history says otherwise.
The Rams have won the past two meetings against the Saints and are 3-2 against New Orleans in the Asshole Face era.
Three years ago, the Saints finished 11-5 and made it to the playoffs. But one of those losses came against the Rams in a game Drew Brees threw for 393 yards. The Rams won that one 27-16 after racing out to a 17-0 lead in the first half.
The meeting before that, in 2011, the Rams beat the Saints 31-21.
The Saints went 13-3 that season. The Rams, winless at the time, finished 2-14, with their only other win that year coming against the Cleveland Browns.
So even when the Saints looked to be much better than the Rams on paper, the results didn’t reflect that.
And if that’s not enough to concern you, perhaps this is:
Rams coach Jeff Fisher has never lost to the Saints in his 20 years as a head coach. He’s 5-0 all-time.
Fisher went 4-0 against the Saints during his time with the Tennessee Titans and 1-0 with the Rams.
Can the Saints solve Fisher this go-round?
Will Rams defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, who held the same duties with the Saints from 2009-2011 be able to come up with a way to slow down Brees and the top offense in the league?
Williams’ defense ranks sixth in the league in total defense and passing defense.
And it may not even matter how if the Saints special teams continue to struggle.
But this is a winnable game.
A “must win” would probably be a more accurate description during this critical stretch of the season.
With a home game against Detroit, followed by a road trip to Tampa Bay, this is the Saints’ chance to get back in the mix of the NFC South race.
They are two games behind the first-place Falcons and one game behind the Buccaneers.
Sunday looks like a perfect time to make up some ground.
Atlanta is at home against Arizona, Carolina travels to Oakland and Tampa Bay hosts Seattle. On paper, all three of the Saints’ NFC South mates could lose this week.
But as the Saints have shown in recent years against the Rams, this game isn’t won on paper.
