New Orleans Saints most to blame for eye-opening Week 16 loss to Rams

In Week 16 of the 2023 NFL season, the New Orleans Saints lost to the Los Angeles Rams in a dismal fashion.

This severely hurt their chances of making the playoffs. The game was characterized by poor play and lost opportunities.

Saints supporters were left wondering what happened. We will analyze the main causes of the Saints’ loss in this piece and pinpoint the players who bore the most share of the blame.

Week 16 Loss

The Saints’ Week 16 clash against the Rams ended in a 30-22 defeat. It halted their two-game winning streak and dropped their season record to 7-8. The Rams, on the other hand, improved to 8-7. This win bolstered their playoff aspirations.

The game was characterized by the Saints’ inability to capitalize on offensive opportunities and their defense’s struggle to contain the Rams’ potent attack.

Quarterback Derek Carr’s underwhelming performance, coupled with defensive lapses, ultimately contributed to the team’s downfall.

Run Game

The Saints’ running game was hampered by the Rams. Alvin Kamara and Jamaal Williams combined for a mere 27 yards on 11 runs.

Meanwhile, Taysom Hill carried the ball twice for 2 yards, and Rashid Shaheed’s jet sweep gained just 4 yards. The offensive line struggled to create openings, too.

They didn’t offer much encouragement, and when lanes did show up, they did so swiftly. Kamara was not effective enough for the offensive to be dangerous. Indeed, Carr said that play-action’s efficacy wasn’t compromised by the absence of a rushing offense.

Nonetheless, it continues to be a major worry. It is always a recipe for difficulty to become one-dimensional against a club that has Aaron Donald. That’s exactly what took place.

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