Football, the most watched sport in America, has always had the biggest fan base. The NFL season, which started in September, has brought multiple close games between some of the top teams.

Although many teams have been doing well, the Los Angeles Rams had an early start with a great record. Having one of the best rosters on paper in the NFL, it came as no surprise that the Rams were the best team in the league. In a major upset to their fans, the Rams lost to the Saints last weekend, putting an end to their undefeated streak.

Before Sunday, November 4, the Rams were leading the NFL with the most amount of wins this season; however, this all changed once they played the New Orleans Saints at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome stadium. Heading into the game, the Saints had a respectable record of 6 – 1, but the Rams had been dominating this season with eight wins, no losses.

The Rams took on the New Orleans Saints during week 9 of the NFL season. Leading their team was quarterback Jared Goff and running back Todd Gurley. This game was originally slated to be a tough game between the first and second place teams, but the Rams were expected to win.

The beginning of the game started strong for the Saints with a 14-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Saints stayed in the lead until the end of the game, winning 45-35. Quarterback Jared Goff threw a total of 391 yards, Brandin Cook with 114 receiving yards, and Todd Gurley with 68 rushing yards. The Rams biggest downfall during this game was their defense against the Saints’ strong offense.

Type One talked to sophomore and Rams fan Owen Andreas about the recent defeat of the team. He expressed what he feels about the loss of the undefeated Rams.

“I thought it was okay because the Saints are really good,” says Andreas. “But, their defense definitely struggled.”

The defense of the Rams was known to be lacking, especially shown with zero sacks being made during this game. Defensive starters Marcus Peters, Ndamukong Suh, and Aaron Donald all did not play their best in this last game. Best defensive back Marcus Peters was not able to outrun and tackle the strong offense of the Saints lead by quarterback Drew Brees. The Rams defense was not playing to their full potential. They were unable to intercept passes or catch up and tackle Saints offensive players.

However, Todd Gurley was able to lead the offense in scoring a touchdown, along with Brandin Cooks, Cooper Kupp, and Malcolm Brown. The strong offense of the Rams was lead by Jared Goff, throwing touchdowns in the first, second, and fourth quarters. The former Saint, Brandin Cooks, scored three touchdowns giving hope to Rams fans. Unfortunately, the strong plays and touchdowns in the offense were not able to overpower the lack of teamwork on the defensive end, ultimately leading to the first defeat of the Los Angeles Rams’ season.

Andreas said what he believes they should do in upcoming games against other teams who are also in the top ten: “I think that their defense could play better together because they have so many good players.” 

More games are to come throughout the season that may be challenging to the Rams if they do not increase the amount of time they spend focusing on their defensive skills. There is sure to be many more touchdowns, interceptions, sacks, and even some unexpected surprises during the upcoming games. Regardless, Rams fans will be excited to see how the team bounces back from this defeat.

Sources: Gallup, NFL, ESPN, and USA TODAY

Photo Source: David Reber via Wikimedia Commons