Can the Saints still make the 2023 playoffs if they lose against the Rams?

The New Orleans Saints displayed an impressive performance in their recent game against the New York Giants, securing a 24-6 win. The Saints’ quarterback, Derek Carr, delivered an outstanding performance, completing 23 of 20 passes for 218 yards, 3 touchdowns, and no interceptions.

The running back, Alvin Kamara, also contributed significantly to the team’s success, with 66 rushing yards and 44 receiving yards.

However, the Saints have some injury concerns heading into their next game. Chris Olave and Ryan Ramczyk are listed as questionable, potentially impacting the team’s performance. The game plan may need to rely heavily on Kamara again, and the absence of critical receivers could pose some challenges.

Despite these challenges, the Saints remain in contention to win their division. Currently, the Saints are tied with the Buccaneers record-wise in the quest for an NFC South title. However, the Buccaneers now hold the head-to-head tiebreaker. The upcoming Week 17 meeting in Tampa will be crucial for both teams. Although the Saints have a lesser postseason chance (41%) than the Rams, a victory in this game will raise their likelihood to 70%, while a loss will drop them to 24%.

Carr will need to target the Rams’ weak secondary to win the game. The Saints’ quarterback has been playing solid ball since midseason despite facing several injury challenges. Carr has rarely had all of his weapons at his disposal this season. However, the Saints are starting to put together a complete group offensively, and some key players are returning from injury. For instance, Chris Olave, who missed last week’s game due to an ankle injury, will return, and Rashid Shaheed is back to form. With all these weapons available, the Saints should be able to attack all parts of the field and secure a victory.