Saints at Rams Thursday Night Football highlights: Puka Nacua helps LA boost playoff hopes

Chris Bumbaca Tyler Dragon Victoria Hernandez

USA TODAY

It wasn’t quite last week’s Thursday night blowout, but the Los Angeles Rams (8-7) staved off a comeback to handily beat the New Orleans Saints (7-8), 30-22, at SoFi Stadium. The game gives the Rams their first winning record of the season as they continue to vie for a playoff spot.

The wide receiving corps carried Los Angeles as rookie sensation Puka Nacua had nine catches for a career-high 164 yards. Demarcus Robinson nabbed six receptions for 82 yards. They each had a touchdown.

Running back Kyren Williams added 22 carries for 104 yards and a score where he gave the ball to his mom. He’s had six straight games with at least 100 yards from scrimmage. The Los Angeles offense outperformed New Orleans 458 yards to 339 in front of the city’s new star, Shohei Ohtani, who signed a record $700 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers last week.

The Saints almost led a comeback in the fourth quarter after being down 23 points. Derek Carr found Juwan Johnson for a score and then threw a 35-yard touchdown to A.T. Perry after New Orleans blocked a punt. But they couldn’t rally enough to capture the win. — Victoria Hernandez

Winners and losers from Rams' win over Saints

WINNERS

Rams QB Matthew Stafford: The Rams quarterback has been playing at an elite level since his recovery from a thumb injury that hampered him in the early parts of the season and caused him to miss the Week 9 game against the Green Bay Packers. This was Stafford’s fourth straight game without an interception and he was 24-for-34 with 328 yards and two touchdowns against the Saints with two touchdowns. He needed to target only four receivers to do it. And the Rams are now 5-1 — the lone loss in overtime against the Baltimore Ravens — over their past six, primed for the postseason, thanks in large part to their quarterback.

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Rams WR Puka Nacua: Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud will prevent him from winning offensive rookie of the year, but Nacua’s breakout campaign continued on the national stage. He had a game-high 164 receiving yards on nine catches and one touchdown, and his sliding catch on the first play of the second half was the highlight of the game.

“It’s one of the more impressive rookie campaigns I’ve ever seen,” Stafford said on the Amazon Prime Video "TNF" postgame show.

Saints WR Chris Olave: Despite his drop on a key third down in the first half, the second-year wide receiver hauled in nine of his 13 targets for 123 yards to lead his team in all of those categories.

Shohei Ohtani: The newest (officially, at least) member of the Los Angeles Dodgers received a custom Rams No. 17 jersey pregame and one of the loudest ovations of the night when he was shown on the SoFi Stadium screens in the second quarter. And he will soon have a country-mate joining him in Dodger Blue. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the heralded right-hander from Japan, has agreed to a deal with the Dodgers.

The other NFC South pretenders: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-7) are now in the driver’s seat and the Atlanta Falcons are still alive even coming off their embarrassing loss to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Bucs-Saints next week will be huge.

LOSERS

Derek Carr: Three passing touchdowns, a 67.5 completion percentage (27-for-40) and 319 passing yards looks great on the stat sheet. But two of the touchdowns came with the Saints down by more than two possessions, and his one interception — in the third quarter to Jordan Fuller — was a terrible throw.

For someone being paid $40 million a year, the 10-year veteran has to be better with the football and can’t be taking sacks that take his team out of field-goal range, as he did on the first drive of the game. Carr has a no-trade clause with a guarantee for 2024, so all signs point to the Saints running it back with him.

Dennis Allen: Punt from the opponent’s 37-yard line on the first drive of the game. Go for it in a similar spot near the end of the first half, watch Carr take another sack, and then give the Rams great field position so they can build their lead on the drive before and after halftime. Try to figure that one out. His career record is now 22-46.

Cooper Kupp: He finished with six catches for 52 yards, but he and Stafford were never on the same page. Six of the times he was targeted went for incompletions.

Saints' playoff hopes: The path to the postseason is now (almost) exclusively through the NFC South. According to NextGenStats, the Saints have a 24% chance of making the postseason following the loss. A victory would have put their odds at 71%.

The rest of the NFC (except the South): Does anybody want to play the Rams down the stretch? They aren’t the best at closing games, but have the makings of a team that will be a tough out in January. And the contending wild-card teams took another hit as the Rams’ march to the playoffs took another step in the right direction, as they currently hold the No. 6 seed in the conference. — Chris Bumbaca

Rams-Saints highlights

Matthew Stafford passed for 328 yards and two touchdowns, rookie Puka Nacua had nine catches for a career-high 164 yards and a score, and the Rams surged forward in the NFC playoff race with a 30-22 victory over the Saints.

Rams 30, Saints 22: New Orleans makes it interesting late

The Saints have showed more life in the last two possessions than they did the entire game previously.

They first embarked on a 12-play, 75-yard drive that took 6:11 off the clock to make it a 30-14 game with 6:33 to go in the game. New Orleans received the ball back two minutes later in prime field position thanks to a blocked punt by J.T. Gray.

Two plays later, Derek Carr hit rookie wide receiver A.T. Perry for a 35-yard touchdown that made it a 10-point game; Carr then found Chris Olave in the back left corner of the end zone on the two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 30-22 with 3:53 remaining.

It was reminiscent of the Rams’ victory a week ago when they could not put away the Washington Commanders in the fourth quarter but managed to hang on for the win. — Chris Bumbaca

Rams 30, Saints 7: Lucas Havrisik extends LA's lead

The Rams have scored on four straight possessions to extend their advantage to 30-7 in the fourth quarter.

Los Angeles went on a nine-play, 56-yard drive that ended with a 32-yard field goal by Lucas Havrisik.

Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua tallied two catches during the series, including a 29-yard reception to put the Rams in scoring position. The rookie wideout has eight catches, 148 yards and a touchdown in the game.

Havrisik has converted three of four field goals tonight. — Tyler Dragon

Rams seemingly cruising to victory after three quarters

Aside from one play in the second quarter, this game has been all Rams. And that includes the third quarter.

Rams rookie receiver Puka Nacua ended the frame with 119 receiving yards on seven catches and could have had another touchdown if Matthew Stafford threw a more accurate pass on the first possession of the quarter. The Rams settled for three points to end that drive before turning a Derek Carr interception into seven points via a Kyren Williams 10-yard run.

The lowlight for the Saints, however, came on a fourth-and-seven attempt with less than three minutes in the quarter remaining from the Rams’ 34-yard line. Dennis Allen left his offense on the field and Carr threw short of the sticks for another turnover on downs. — Chris Bumbaca

Rams 27, Saints 7: Kyren Williams scores, tosses ball to mother

The Rams scored again with a 10-yard touchdown from Kyren Williams. On second-and-three, Matthew Stafford handed the ball off to the running back, who powered through the line of scrimmage and jetted into the end zone. Williams then tossed the ball in the stands to his mom.

Williams had 17 rushing yards on the two plays before the touchdown.

The score comes after Jordan Fuller picked off Derek Carr. Los Angeles now has 17 points off the pick and two turnovers on downs. — Victoria Hernandez

Jordan Fuller picks off Derek Carr

Jordan Fuller didn’t have to work very hard for that interception.

On third-and-6 near midfield, Carr was locked onto tight end Juwan Johnson, who was running a route across the middle of the field. Carr didn’t see a lurking Fuller, and all the safety had to do was wait for the ball to hit his hands, reel in the pass, and get going the opposite direction.

The Rams took over at the New Orleans 41-yard line and scored five plays later on a 10-yard touchdown rush by Kyren Williams, who promptly celebrated by handing the ball to his mother in the stands. — Chris Bumbaca

Rams 20, Saints 7: Rams pad lead after short field goal

Matthew Stafford and the Rams went on a 10-play, 72-yard drive that ended in a field goal to extend their lead to 20-7 with 11:10 remaining in the third quarter.

Kicker Lucas Havrisik converted a short 22-yard field goal to cap off the team's first drive of the second half. Havrisik’s made two of three of his field goals Thursday night.

The Rams have scored on their last two possessions. — Tyler Dragon

Rams in control after first half

The Rams are in control of their Thursday night game against the Saints heading into the locker room up 17-7.

The Rams are outpacing the Saints 244 yards of offense to 164 with Shohei Ohtani and Drew Brees in attendance.

At the half, Wide receiver Demarcus Robinson already has six catches for 82 yards and one of Matthew Stafford’s two touchdowns.

Derek Carr connected with Rashid Shaheed for a 45-yard touchdown where the wideout stormed downfield for the score. The Saints also had two turnovers on downs, which turned into 10 points for the Rams. — Victoria Hernandez

Rams 17, Saints 7: Demarcus Robinson scores late in first half

The Rams padded their lead heading into the half with a 4-yard touchdown from Matthew Stafford to Demarcus Robinson. From the shotgun snap, Stafford found Robinson, who outran cornerback Isaac Yiadom in the middle of the end zone

The wide receiver made a statement on the first play of the drive by nabbing a 32-yard catch from Stafford where the quarterback scrambled out of the pocket and threw on the run. Tyler Higbee and Puka Nacua also had receptions to move the ball down the field. — Victoria Hernandez

Rams 10, Saints 7: Derek Carr connects with Rasheed Shaheed for long TD

Rashid Shaeed: rhymes with speed. And he showed it on his 45-yard touchdown catch that injected the Saints with life for their first score of the night and made it 10-7 with 2:28 to go in the first half.

Derek Carr, who faked a handoff, hit Shaheed with a beautiful lofting throw on a middle post pattern in which the speedy receiver got behind the Rams’ secondary and beat defensive back Akhello Witherspoon on his route. It was the third play following Lucas Havrisik’s missed 47-yard field goal for the Rams.

For Shaheed, it was his first touchdown grab since Oct. 29 against the Indianapolis Colts. The play’s length was equal to the amount of receiving yards he had in his last two games (45). — Chris Bumbaca

Rams kicker Lucas Havrisik misses field goal attempt

Field goals have been an issue for the Rams this season. The issue flared up in the second quarter when Lucas Havrisik missed a 47-yard field goal wide left with 3:53 remaining in the first half.

The Rams replaced kicker Brett Maher with Havrisik earlier this season.

The Rams have made just 74% of their field goals coming into Week 16. — Tyler Dragon

Rams 10, Saints 0: Lucas Havrisik field goal extends Rams' lead

The Rams wasted little time taking advantage of great field position and building upon their lead.

On the first play of the drive, Matthew Stafford found Puka Nacua for a 28-yard gain. The Rams advanced the ball to the New Orleans two-yard line but Sean McVay opted to send the field-goal unit out on fourth-and-goal this time. Lucas Havrisik made the 20-yard field goal to make it a 10-0 game with 10:23 left in the second quarter. — Chris Bumbaca

Saints turn ball over on downs

The Saints’ decision to go for it on fourth down backfired.

On fourth-and-5, Saints quarterback Derek Carr was sacked in the pocket by Rams defensive tackle Kobie Turner for a 9-yard loss. The Rams took over possession of the football on their own 48-yard line as a result of the sack.

Carr has been sacked twice in two possessions. — Tyler Dragon

Rams lead Saints after first quarter

The first quarter featured only one complete drive by each team on Thursday night.

The Saints started with the ball and Derek Carr threw passes of 11 and 16 yards, but a sack by

Ernest Jones IV forced them to punt.

The Rams scored the first, and only, points of the game so far with a 2-yard pass from Matthew Stafford to rookie sensation Puka Nacua. The drive ate up nearly eight minutes of clock.

Los Angeles is up 7-0 at the end of the first quarter. — Victoria Hernandez

Rams 7, Saints 0: Puka Nacua scores on fourth-and-goal play

The Rams’ 14-play drive end in seven points.

Rams coach Sean McVay elected to go for it on fourth-and-goal from the 2-yard line. Matthew Stafford retrieved the football in shotgun formation and threw a short pass to rookie Puka Nacua for a touchdown.

The touchdown concluded a first drive that was over eight minutes for the Rams.

Nacua had two receptions in the Rams first possession. The touchdown was Nacua’s fifth of the season. — Tyler Dragon

What time does Saints vs. Rams begin?

Saints vs. Rams is set to kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET on Thursday, Dec. 21.

How can I watch Saints vs. Rams?

Saints at Rams will be streaming exclusively on Amazon Prime Video and will be broadcast in local markets only.

Saints vs. Rams: Picks, predictions and odds

The Rams are favorites to defeat the Saints, according to BetMGM NFL odds.

Spread: Rams (-12)
Moneyline: Rams (-210); Saints (+170)
Over/under: 45.5

USA TODAY Sports’ staff picks for this game:

Lorenzo Reyes: Rams 24, Saints 18 — In what’s a crucial game for the NFC wild-card picture, the Saints are weak against the run, ranking 24th in the league in rushing defense. Rams running back Kyren Williams has been ultra-productive over the last month and L.A. wins when he does well. The recipe here is clear.
Tyler Dragon: Rams 23, Saints 20 — This primetime game has playoff implications. Both these 7-7 teams are fighting for wild-card spots in the NFC. Derek Carr is coming off a three-touchdown game, but he’s struggled with consistency in a New Orleans uniform. Rams WR Puka Nacua (1,163) needs 311 more receiving yards to set the NFL’s single-season receiving yards record by a rookie. Cooper Kupp, Nacua and the Rams offense should be able to outscore the Saints in what is an important game for both clubs.
Safid Deen: Rams 24, Saints 18 — It’s a shame the Rams are just 7-7, but their major players – Matt Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Kyren Williams and Puka Nacua – are finally healthy. The Rams will make the playoffs if they can stay that way 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, boosted by back-to-back 100-yard games from Cooper Kupp, are playing strong as they clamor for a playoff spot and should notch this home win.
Jordan Mendoza: Rams 20, Saints 17 — This is going to be one of the better matchups of the week, as the Saints' defense has made life tough for offenses while the Rams' offense has been clicking in recent weeks. It won't be as big of a performance, but Los Angeles has too many weapons at its disposal to be limited, as the Rams win another win and keep their playoff spot.

Shohei Ohtani at SoFi Stadium for Rams-Saints game

Shohei Ohtani might be on a new team, but he is embracing the City of Angels.

The baseball superstar, who is now a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, was in attendance at SoFi Stadium for the Rams-Saints game.

Ohtani was on the field before kickoff and the Rams gifted him a custom jersey with the No. 17, the two-way star’s number. Not Baker Mayfield’s. — Victoria Hernandez

The Los Angeles Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani (left) and interpreter Ippei Mizuhara (right) pose with Los Angeles Rams mascot Rampage at SoFi Stadium.

Good company for Kyren Williams

The only player in the NFL who averages more scrimmage yards per game than Rams second-year running back Kyren Williams? MVP contender and Niners running back Christian McCaffrey (128.6 yards per game)

Williams has had five straight games with more than 100 yards from scrimmage and is up to 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. Williams has averaged 5.6 yards per carry since his return. — Chris Bumbaca

Detroit dreamin'

The Detroit Lions still control their own destiny in securing a postseason berth and can even wrap up the NFC North title with a victory Sunday over the Minnesota Vikings.

But the Lions can secure their spot in the playoffs depending on the outcome of this game, as a Rams loss would secure Detroit's spot in the NFC's field of seven. — Chris Bumbaca

Saints vs. Rams inactives: Chris Olave in, Ryan Ramczyk out for New Orleans

Wide receiver Chris Olave (ankle) is active after missing the Saints' Week 15 win over the Giants. Olave — who is 82 yards away from posting a second consecutive 1,00-yard receiving season — was updated to 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 third game this season.

Saints' inactive players:

CB Cameron Dantzler Sr.
QB Jake Haener
DE Isaiah Foskey
RB Kendre Miller
OT Ryan Ramczyk
LB Monty Rice

Rams' inactive players:

DB Tre Tomlinson
RB Zach Evans
LB Ochaun Mathis
OL Warren McClendon Jr.
DE Desjuan Johnson

NFL playoff picture: Saints, Rams in thick of NFC postseason race

The "Thursday Night Football" matchup between the Saints and Rams has massive ramifications for the wild-card portion of the NFC playoff field … and possibly the NFC South. — Nate Davis

Saints vs. Rams history lesson: Two famous playoff encounters

The Saints and Rams head-to-head series dates back to New Orleans' expansion season of 1967. The Saints' inaugural game came against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 17, 1967. The Rams went on to win that game, but the Saints' John Gilliam ran the opening kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown to punctuate the milestone day for New Orleans.

In total, the two teams have met 78 times (including playoffs), with the Rams holding a 43-35 series edge.

The two teams were part of the old NFC West division from 1970 through 2001, facing off twice a season.

The Saints and Rams also have met twice in the playoffs, and both games were memorably encounters.

Of course, the most famous of which was the 2018 NFC championship game. The Rams rallied from a 10-point second-half deficit to win the game, 26-23, and advance to Super Bowl 53. However, we're burying the lead here. The game was marred by a controversial no-call on Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman, who appeared to commit pass interference on Tommylee Lewis late in the fourth quarter. The NFL later admitted there was an officiating error on play.

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 what was a thrilling wild-card game at the Superdome. The Saints stormed out to a 31-7 fourth-quarter lead, but the high-octane Rams rallied to within three points. The then-St. Louis Rams could not complete the comeback as the Saints won their first-ever playoff game. — Jim Reineking

NFL Week 16 picks, predictions and odds

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