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Wild-Card Weekend
Rams travel to Big Easy for rubber match of season series
Posted: Wednesday December 27, 2000 11:15 AM
By Jon A. Dolezar, CNNSI.com
The New Orleans Saints have gone to the playoffs only four time in franchise history, and have only six winning seasons in 34 years.
In other words, business has been good for brown paper bag makers in The Big Easy during the past three and a half decades, and Saints owner Tom Benson hasn't been able to embarrass himself too often by dancing on the sidelines.
New Orleans has been outscored 123-56 in its four visits to the postseason, an average of 30.8 to 14.
Perhaps the team can summon a bit of voodoo magic from the French Quarter to defeat the Rams.
If the voodoo thing doesn't come through, the Saints could always fall back on the league's top pass rush. New Orleans put opposing quarterbacks on their back 66 times this season, the league's top team total and a team record.
The Saints' starting defensive line -- ends Darren Howard, William Whitehead and tackles La'Roi Glover, Joe Johnson -- combined for 45 1/2 sacks, which bodes well against a Rams offensive line that gave up 44 sacks, the 11th-worst total in the league.
If New Orlelans isn't able to put pressure on Rams quarterback Kurt Warner, then the Saints' defensive backs will be the wrath of the right arm of a man who has a 104.0 career QB rating and has thrown 62 touchdown passes the past two season.
| NFL Wild-Card Games Preview |
| Colts (10-6) at Dolphins (11-5), 12:30 p.m. Saturday |
| Key Stat |
| 22: Combined interceptions by Dolphins defensive backs, though only one of those picks was against Colts quarterback Peyton Manning in two meetings this season. Stats matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Colts running back Edgerrin James (4,442 total yards and 35 touchdowns in two seasons) against Dolphins middle linebacker Zach Thomas (99 tackles, 5 1/2 stuffs in 11 games this season). |
| Player to Watch |
| Jay Fiedler, QB, Miami: Finished with a 57.1 completion percentage and 14 touchdowns and 14 interceptions, with nine of those interceptions coming in the Dolphins' five losses. |
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Rams (10-6) at Saints (10-6), 4 p.m. Saturday |
| Key Stat |
| 17:08: Average time of possession advantage for the winner in the two games between the Rams and Saints this season, as New Orleans held the ball for 39:26 in its 31-24 win at St. Louis on Nov. 26, while St. Louis kept possession for 37:42 in its 26-21 win Dec. 24 at the Superdome.
Stats matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Rams running back Marshall Faulk (39 touches for 261 total yards and three touchdowns against the Saints in Week 17) against Saints middle linebacker Darrin Smith (91 total tackles, four stuffs, two interceptions). |
| Player to Watch |
| Joe Horn, WR, New Orleans: Caught 94 passes for 1,340 yards and eight touchdowns, including 12 balls for 137 yards and one touchdown in two meetings with the Rams. |
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Broncos (11-5) at Ravens (12-4), 12:30 p.m. Sunday |
Key Stat |
| 20: Point differential between Broncos' 30.3 offensive output and Ravens' NFL-record 10.3 points allowed per contest. Stats matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Broncos running back Mike Anderson (297 carries for 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns) against Ravens defensive tackles Tony Siragusa and Sam Adams (nine combined stuffs) and middle linebacker Ray Lewis (137 tackles, 9 1/2 stuffs). |
| Player to Watch |
| Trent Dilfer, QB, Baltimore: Has excelled with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions during the Ravens' seven-game winning streak, but Dilfer's career completion percentage is only 55.3. |
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| Buccaneers (10-6) at Eagles (11-5), 4 p.m. Sunday |
| Key Stat |
| 104: Combined sacks by the Bucs (55) and Eagles (49) this season. Stats matchup | Preview |
| Key Matchup |
| Bucs wide receiver Keyshawn Johnson (71 catches for 874 yards and eight touchdowns) against Eagles cornerbacks Bobby Taylor and Troy Vincent, who have combined for eight interceptions and 36 passes defended this season. |
| Player to Watch |
| Shaun King, QB, Tampa Bay: Has completed 33 of 61 passes for 328 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions in the Bucs' two cold-weather games this season, a 13-10 loss at Chicago on Nov. 19, and a 17-14 overtime loss at Green Bay in Week 17. |
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