This is always easier in victory than defeat, so it was much smoother sailing after the New Orleans Saints won two straight than it is after Sunday’s 21-14 loss to the Rams in the Caesars Superdome.
But there are some players who earned callouts:
OFFENSE: Running back Alvin Kamara inched closer to his first 1,000-yard rushing season Sunday with 112 yards on 23 carries. It was the 11th 100-yard rushing game of his career and it almost included a 12-yard touchdown catch; unfortunately, left tackle Taliese Fuaga was penalized for ineligible downfield. Kamara ran for 80 yards on 12 carries in the first half, so the Rams tightened up in the last two quarters but he's now at 894 rushing yards this season and leads the team in rushing and receiving yards.
DEFENSE: You don't hear defensive tackle Nathan Shepherd's name much and frankly there's not much good to say when the unit allowed Rams touchdowns on all three red zone trips. But Shepherd posted his first full sack of the season (he entered the game with a half-sack) and was credited with a tackle for loss and quarterback hit. The sack was a reward for Shepherd's relentlessness on the play.
SPECIAL TEAMS: It's much easier to zero in on the negative than the positive in a loss, so Blake Grupe's missed 36-yard field goal attempt (wide left) stands out in a one-possession game. But Grupe made a couple of 54-yarders – he has made all five attempts from 50-plus yards this season – and he's 20-for-22 this season. Don't like a miss from 36 yards, but a couple of 54s is noteworthy.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Los Angeles Rams for Week 13 of the 2024 NFL season on Dec. 1, 2024 at the Caesars Superdome.