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The Los Angeles Rams needed to win on Monday night to keep their playoff hopes alive, but two former New Orleans Saints players weren’t about to let that happen. Now with the Baltimore Ravens, running back Mark Ingram and wide receiver Willie Snead scored four touchdowns on the overwhelmed Rams defense; three of those touchdowns were passes caught from breakout star quarterback Lamar Jackson. Baltimore won in a landslide, 45-6.
You love to see it. The Rams of course took advantage of an officiating gaffe in last year’s NFC championship game to advance past the Saints and into Super Bowl LIII; they lost that game in humiliating fashion, 13-3, and haven’t recovered. There was no one more suited to bury their hopes on a national stage than Ingram, who logged 15 rushing attempts to gain 111 yards and score a touchdown run, to go with his 7-yard touchdown reception. Snead only caught two passes against Los Angeles, but they both ended in the end zone from seven yards out.
Of course Saints fans would rather Ingram be scoring touchdowns in New Orleans; it’s a shame that they couldn’t work out a deal in free agency earlier this year. At least he’s having a blast and taking down teams that have given the Saints trouble. Ingram is averaging the second-most rushing yards per game of his career (70.7) with Baltimore, trailing only his 2014 season, in which he first reached the Pro Bowl.
As for the Rams: this loss lowered their record on the year so far to 6-5, putting them firmly in third-place in the NFC West behind the San Francisco 49ers (10-1) and Seattle Seahawks (9-2). Considering two different NFC North are currently in the playoff picture (the 8-3 Green Bay Packers and 8-3 Minnesota Vikings), the Rams can’t afford to lose another game down the stretch to even make it to the postseason. Meanwhile, the Saints are a game away from clinching their third consecutive NFC South title. Things are great.
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