NEW ORLEANS — The Rams showed up in the loudest stadium in the NFL, went down 13-0 and still walked out of the joint with an all expense paid trip to Super Bowl 53 after beating the New Orleans Saints 23-20 in overtime. Jared Goff became the youngest quarterback to take an NFC team to the Super Bowl which is NUTS and it wasn’t easy. They never led and didn’t lead until the final score on a 57-yard Greg Zuerlein field goal to win it.
Saints came right out of the gate and went 11 plays for 56 yards as Will Lutz kicked a 37-yard field goal to make it a quick 3-0 lead for New Orleans. On the ensuing possession on the Rams third play from scrimmage Todd Gurley misses a pass that is deflected and it’s intercepted by Demario Davis on the LA 17 yard line. The Saints couldn’t convert it into a touchdown but did get another field goal out of it from Will Lutz from 29-yards out. So in less than 8 minutes Sean Payton and Co. were up 6-0.
The Rams go three and out on their very next possession. New Orleans takes the next possession and marches it to the 10 yard line on a 4th and 2 to pull the Oaky Doke on them by drawing them offside with a hard snap count by Drew Brees. Pure genius!!!
Therefore, it’s half the distance to the goal line, first down and on the next play Brees finds Garrett Griffin in the end zone for the touchdown. Before I could bite into my hot dog it was 13-0 and the Rams were trying to figure out the license plate number of the semi that just ran them over.
By the end of the first quarter Sean McVay and Co. were completely overwhelmed. They didn’t have a single first down, only 15 total yards and 3 penalties for 20 yards. Bruh..they had more yards in penalties than total yards.
The Rams pulled some tricks out of their own when they faked a punt from their own 30 yard line and converted it for their first 1st down of the game. That took some guts down 13 points early in their own territory but that’s why McVay is 32 years old and his a head coach in the NFL. They were able to turn that conversion into a points with a 36-yard Greg Zuerlein field goal to make it 13-3 Saints.
The LA defense woke up and started doing work as Aqib Talib got boyz fired up and ready to go after being down early 13 points. They sacked Drew Brees twice on the ensuing series and that got things poppin’ for the Rams.
Once the Jared Goff and Co. settled down they started playing like themselves late in the second quarter. The next thing you know the Rams were on fiyahhh with Goff hitting Brandon Cooks on a 36-yard pass to set up a Todd Gurley 6-yard touchdown run to get within 3 with 23 seconds before the half. The Saints go into the break up 13-10.
The Rams come out of the break and went three and out. Brees and the boyz took over and walked that joint right down the field with both Ingram and Kamara body blowing these cats. Then they lined Taysom Hill (backup QB) up as a receiver and Brees hit him on the 2-yard bubble screen for the touchdown to go up 20-10 with 8:37 left in the third quarter.
LA responded like some G’s by walking it right back down the field and punching it in as Goff hits Tyler Higbee on a 1-yard touchdown pass to make it a 3-point game AGAIN with the Saints up 20-17. The noise was NUTS in the Super Dome but the Rams continued to keep focus running their offense without being able to hear.
Before you knew it, it was all knotted up at 20 after a 24-yard Greg Zuerlein field goal.
New Orleans marched it right back down the field into score position as the refs miss a clear pass interference that Sean Payton was fired up about. They had to settle for a Will Lutz 31-yard field goal with 1:45 left to play to make it 23-20.
Jared Goff and Co. kept their composure as they drove it right back into field goal range for their fearless kicker, Greg Zuerlein to tie it up. Ole boy hits a 49-yarder to tie it up at 23 with 15 seconds left to sent that baby into overtime.
Drew Brees and Co. win the toss and get the football to start the extra period. Donte Fowler hits Brees as he’s trying to throw the ball and he throws an interception to John Johnson who was literally laying on his back at the New Orleans 34 yard line.
The super hero, Greg Zuerlein, came out with a brand new cape on and kicked a 57-yard field goal to win it. That sends the Rams to the “A” for Super Bowl 53. NUTS!!!! Ole boy knocked down 4 field goals to help send the Rams to the ATL.