Divisional weekend is often considered one of the best weeks of football. The NFC offered competitive games while the AFC sadly did not. The featured games in this article will be the NFC games, hence the title.
Dallas Cowboys at Los Angeles Rams (30-22 Rams win)
The storyline the media created for this game was the impressive Dallas ground game featuring All Pro RB Ezekiel Elliot playing against a subpar Rams run defense. The Cowboys were going to come out and play clock control, combining their ground game with solid defense that would hold down what appeared to be a wounded duck in the Rams offense. However, in the playoffs the Rams were the ones to flip the script. The Rams controlled the clock in impressive fashion throughout the entire game, ending up with a 36 to 23 minute advantage. Even more impressive however was the stark contrast between the Cowboys and Rams rushing attack. The Rams rushed 48 times for 273 yards on a 5.7 average. The Rams had two 100 yard rushers, with CJ Anderson accounting for the lion’s share of yards and carries at 23 for 123 yards with 2 scores. Todd Gurley almost played a secondary role with 16 carries for 115 yards and a score. Meanwhile, the Rams much maligned rush defense entirely shut down the Cowboys ground game, as Ezekiel Elliot had 20 carries for 47 yards. Ndamukong Suh had his best game as a Ram, as he was able to consistently push aside those attempting to block him and stuff many rush attempts before they got started. Dak Prescott was able to get 260 yards with some impressive throws, but he also missed a fair share of passes as well. Cowboys WR Michael Gallup had an impressive game, getting 6 catches for 119 yards, 44 of which came on one play. The Cowboys were able to get to within a score, however a clutch run by Rams QB Jared Goff sealed the game with less than two minutes to go.
Philadelphia Eagles at New Orleans Saints (20-14 Saints win)
The New Orleans Saints were able to hold off a late charge by the defending Superbowl Champions and hold on for a 6 point win. Early on, the Eagles opened up an impressive 14-0 lead where the Saints looked almost entirely lost on both sides of the ball. After getting their second touchdown of the game, the Eagles did not however score again. In what ended being a pitched battle through the entire second half, the Saints dominated time of possession to finally take the lead in the 3rd quarter. In the 4th quarter, a Saints field goal opened the lead up to 20-14. Despite being ravaged by injuries in their secondary, the Eagles delivered a very commendable performance keeping the game close in an extremely tough environment. Brees did reach 300 yards passing, but it took until the 4th quarter for him to crest that number. With the 2 minute warning approaching, the Saints looked to seal the game with a 52 yard field goal attempt. Saints kicker Will Lutz missed the kick, putting Eagles QB Nick Foles in great position to lead yet another late game playoff comeback.. Sadly for the defending champs, the proceeding series was cut short with Alshon Jeffrey dropping an open pass, which lead to the game sealing INT by Saints CB Marcus Lattimore. After the game it was revealed that Jeffrey had been playing hurt, yet he did deliver a gutsy performance in spite of the last play.
2018 NFC Title Game: Los Angeles Rams at New Orleans Saints
This game will feature two teams that look strong coming into the matchup. The key factor here will be who established control of the time of possession battle, as both teams excelled in this last week. One big factor however will be the health of the Saints coming into this one. Saints DT Sheldon Rankins looks to have tore his Achilles in the win against the Eagles on Sunday. His loss will be a massive one, as the Saints run defense is essentially built around him. Another big potential hit to the Saints is the broken hand of LG Andres Peat. He has been one of the best guards in football this season, and not having him up front could cause serious problems against the likes of Suh and Donald. How the Saints handle these two injuries will be essential to their chances of winning the game.
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