Rams fend off late rally, boost playoff chances with win over Saints - ESPN

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — A pair of teams harboring realistic playoff hopes squared off on «Thursday Night Football,» with the Los Angeles Rams playing host to the New Orleans Saints at SoFi Stadium.

Only one consistently looked like a postseason team. The Ramsdefeated the Saints 30-22, fending off a late New Orleans rally while riding another 300-plus yard passing game from quarterback Matthew Stafford to move to 8-7 and increase their playoff probability.

The Saints, meanwhile, will stumble into a critical meeting with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week at 7-8, with the postseason odds perhaps less worrying than New Orleans' listless performance on Thursday. The Saints rallied from 30-7 down in the fourth quarter to close to within 30-22 at the 3:53 mark, but could draw no closer.

Here are the important things to know for both teams from the Week 16 meeting:

The Rams have won six out of their past seven games — their only loss coming in overtime to the AFC-leading Baltimore Ravens — and now have a 78% chance to make the playoffs, according to ESPN Analytics. Their chances would have fallen to 17% with a loss.

The Rams' offense has come alive since quarterback Matthew Stafford returned from a thumb injury in Week 11 and Los Angeles has now scored at least 28 points in five straight games.

Running back Kyren Williams — a player head coach Sean McVay has praised multiple times for making the Rams a much better team when he is on the field — passed 1,000 rushing yards for the season. He is the first Rams player to hit that mark since Todd Gurley in 2018.

QB breakdown: Stafford completed 24 of 34 passes for 328 yards and two touchdowns against the Saints. He now has thrown multiple passing touchdowns in five straight games, his