Each weekday, theRams.com will be taking a look around the internet for the top Rams headlines of the day. Here's a look at what's out there for Thursday, January 17th about your Los Angeles Rams.
NFC TITLE GAME PREVIEW
NFL.com's Nick Shook has his preview for the NFC Championship game between the Rams and Saints and said a trip to the Super Bowl could depends on the performance of running backs Todd Gurley and C.J. Anderson against the strong Saints run defense.
Gurley and Anderson's combined rushing attack against the Cowboys was enough to give the Rams the edge in his championship weekend prediction:
"It's extremely difficult to pick against the Saints when they're playing in the Superdome. It's one of the loudest environments in the NFL and this is a stellar Saints squad. But that game last week -- which very well could have ended in a last-second Eagles win, had Alshon Jeffery not had Nick Foles' pass glance off his hands -- raised some concerns about that advantage. These Rams are rolling offensively, thanks to the play of Gurley, Anderson and Goff, and the playcalling of McVay. Los Angeles gets the win on its second try and heads back to Los Angeles with the George Halas Trophy in hand, and perhaps, a bowl of gumbo for Marcus Peters."
Rams 27, Saints 24
For Shook's full championship weekend preview, click here.
DUO vs. DUO
The Saints will roll out a running back duo of its own in the Superdome on Sunday and the Rams are keyed in on stopping the diverse attack in running backs Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram.
NFL.com's Kevin Patra put each pair of rushers' numbers side by side and things look pretty even.
Gurley/Anderson: 260 carries, 1,400 rushing yards, 16 rushing TDs, 5.4 yards per carry (led all rushing duos).
Kamara/Ingram: 311 carries, 1,453 rushing yards, 18 rushing TDs (led all rushing duos), 4.7 yards per carry
Patra included cornerback Marcus Peters' comments focused on slowing each back from his Wednesday press conference.
"We understand that we've got to keep Kamara inside, no explosives and stop the run when they try to ground and pound with '22' (Ingram)," corner Marcus Peters said, via the team transcript. "All those other things, man, there's going to be ups and downs in the game and we've just got to execute when we execute."
To read the entire article, click here.
ADVANTAGE: RAMS
Good Morning Football's Kyle Brandt gives the Rams the upper hand in Sunday's rushing matchup, pointing out just how long Kamara has gone without an explosive run.
KURT'S KEYS
On Thursday, NFL Network's Kurt Warner said the Rams need to slow both Kamara and wide receiver Michael Thomas in order to get the job done come Sunday. Warner's keys come 17 years after quarterbacking the Rams to Super Bowl XXXVI in the then-Louisiana Superdome back in 2001.
