NFC Championship Game Recap: Rams Top Saints

Sunday’s first playoff game of the day was an overtime thriller. The NFC Championship game outcome launched the Los Angeles Rams to Atlanta to compete in Superbowl 53. Here is a breakdown of the NFC Championship Game and what comes next:

Rams 26, Saints 23

In what may have been the most effective home field advantage game in recent history, the New Orleans Saints came up short in overtime, falling to the Los Angeles Rams.

First Half

Jared Goff and the Rams fell behind 13-0 in the first quarter of the game. The Superdome crowd was a huge part of this. The roars of the stadium caused miscommunication between Goff and his team. It showed on multiple occasions that Rams’ center John Sullivan could not hear his quarterback, causing delay of game penalties or wasted timeouts.

Although the Superdome’s loudness was evident, the Rams were able to get in a groove during the second quarter. With a 36-yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein and a six-yard rushing touchdown by Todd Gurley, the Rams cut the Saints lead to 3 by halftime.

Greg Zuerlein kicks game-winning field goal in overtime of NFC championship game. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

Second Half

Going into the third quarter, the Saints caught fire. The New Orleans’ defense held the Rams offense to a three and out on the opening drive of the half. This sparked the Saints’ offensive momentum. Driving 71 yards in 12 plays, Drew Brees threw a two-yard touchdown pass to Tayson Hill to put the Saints up 20-10.

Even being down by 10, Jared Goff kept his composure. The Rams returned with a 70-yard drive of their own, ending in Goff throwing a one-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Higbee. In addition, Greg Zuerlein kicked a field goal to tie the game 20-20 in the fourth quarter.

Refs Miss Pass Interference

Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman defending pass thrown to Saints wide receiver Tommylee Lewis. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

With the game tied late in the fourth quarter, Drew Brees and the Saints’ offense took the field. The drive ended with a 31-yard field goal by Wil Lutz, only after a controversial no call on what seemed to be blatant pass interference from Rams’ cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman.  

The no call took away the chance for the Saints to go ahead by a touchdown or finish the game entirely. This gave the Rams the opportunity to drive down the field and send the game to overtime, which is exactly what the team did.  

Overtime

After an exciting 60 minutes of regulation, the winner of the NFC Championship Game was decided in overtime. The Saints won the coin toss and elected to receive the ball. New Orleans’ offense was on the field for only three plays in a drive that ended with Drew Brees throwing an interception. The pressure from Dante Fowler is what set Brees to throw an inaccurate pass that landed into the arms of Rams’ defender John Johnson.

With excellent field position due to the turnover, Jared Goff led his offense to the Saints 39-yard line. From there, Greg Zuerlein nailed a 57-yard field goal to win the game, sending the Rams to Superbowl 53.

What’s Next?

For the first time since 2001, the Rams are heading to the Superbowl. The Rams will compete against the New England Patriots on February 3 to see who will be champions of Superbowl 53.

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