Ebony Bird
FanSided

Previewing championship games, plus what Ravens can learn from them

By Chris Schisler

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 12: C.J. Anderson #35 of the Los Angeles Rams stiff arms Leighton Vander Esch #55 of the Dallas Cowboys in the second half in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on January 12, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 12: C.J. Anderson #35 of the Los Angeles Rams stiff arms Leighton Vander Esch #55 of the Dallas Cowboys in the second half in the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on January 12, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /
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NEW ORLEANS, LA – NOVEMBER 4: Todd Gurley II #30 of the Los Angeles Rams runs the ball during a game against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 4, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints defeated the Rams 45-35. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA – NOVEMBER 4: Todd Gurley II #30 of the Los Angeles Rams runs the ball during a game against the New Orleans Saints at Mercedes-Benz Superdome on November 4, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints defeated the Rams 45-35. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images) /

Ravens fans are football fans so Ebony Bird is going to break down the two conference championship games today. I’m also going to tell you what the purple and black can learn from each team remaining:

Rams vs. Saints: 

The last time these two teams met, the Los Angeles Rams were defeated 45-35. The two NFC powerhouses put on a show. Both quarterbacks had over 300 yards. The Rams scored four touchdowns (3 passing, 1 rushing) while the Saints scored six times (four passing, two rushing). There is no reason to think the rematch will be a quiet day for the scoreboard operator. These two teams are fairly evenly matched and they seemed destined to meet at the Superdome for the NFC Championship. If these teams played 10 times, I wouldn’t be surprised if they each won five of those games. In the playoffs, it just takes one good shot to move on. Who’s going to do it?

I picked the Rams at the beginning of the year to win the Super Bowl, but at the moment I’d put my money on the Saints. Drew Brees is playing the best football of his historically great career and the Saints are the most complete team in the NFL. After losing the first game of the season, the Saints went on a run that made the Super Bowl seem more like an eventuality than a question.

The Saints are also playing at home, and their home field advantage is incredibly important. The dome is going to be loud and Jared Goff therefore has an obstacle that his future hall of fame headed opponent does not.

More. Should the Ravens be interested in Antonio Brown. light

The reason I think the Saints will win isn’t because of Drew Brees, or Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas. They are great, but the defense is going to win the day. Don’t get me wrong, this is going to be an offensive showcase for both teams, but the Saints defense will get more stops than the Rams. New Orleans has a good defensive front. Cameron Jordan has 12 sacks, while Sheldon Rankin has eight of his own. The Saints run defense is one of the best in the league and they have a shot to really expose the Rams and their offensive line.

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