Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints: The Professor Preview

Time For The First Semester Final

Our Los Angeles Rams are at the halfway point during the 2018 season as the only undefeated team at 8-0. They head out on the road to face-off against the 6-1 New Orleans Saints in Week 9 headed up by Head Coach Sean Payton, a offensive guru with future Hall of Famer QB Drew Brees leading his offense.

The collective wisdom of most national pundits has the Rams losing this game. Why?

Is it the fact the Saints are the second best team in the NFC Conference having run up six straight victories against opposition the pundits do respect?

Is it that they’re at home?

Is it simply that many expect the Rams to lose a game at some point and this is as good as any?

I’m requesting for this exam that we put ours feeling aside for moment and take hard look at this game based on football knowledge. I’m giving students the chance in the comment section to answer four easy questions for our halfway through the year exam.

Grades will be assessed not on the conclusions as to whether your picking the Rams or Saints to win, but on the analysis which led to the conclusion.

Here’s the four easy questions:

Is the Saints offense better then the Rams? Why or why not?

Is the Saints defense better then the Rams? Why or why not?

Is the Saints special teams better then the Rams? Why or why not?

The final question is on the X-factor. Correct answers will be given extra credit:

Is the fact that the Rams will playing a road game in the Dome against the Saints that much different from the Rams playing at home before hostile crowds in the Coliseum?

I’m looking forward to reading your comments/answers because I believe that an appropriate analysis will get you the right answer on who wins this game and most importantly, why.