Jared Goff's Big Game Helps Rams Cruise Past Drew Brees, Saints

A year ago, Jared Goff looked like a bust. Eleven games into his second NFL season, the Los Angeles Rams quarterback looks like an outside MVP candidate.

Goff threw for 354 yards and two touchdowns and the Rams defense thwarted the New Orleans Saints offense on their way to a 26-20 victory Sunday.  

The Rams (8-3) have won five of their last six games and remain a game ahead of the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC West. 

Sammy Watkins and Josh Reynolds each hauled in first-half touchdown passes for the Rams, who were playing without top wideout Robert Woods. Cooper Kupp was the biggest beneficiary of Woods' absence, recording a game-high eight catches for 116 yards. 

Goff has thrown for nine touchdowns against just one pick, which came in the second half against New Orleans, over his last four games. The Rams are 3-1 during that stretch, with their lone loss being last week's disappointment in Minnesota.

The Saints offense essentially boiled down to Alvin Kamara trying to put the entire team on his back. Kamara accounted for 188 of the Saints' 364 yards and both of their touchdowns. The rookie running back busted open a 74-yard rush in the first quarter and hauled in a 15-yard touchdown pass in the fourth as the Saints attempted to make a comeback.

This is Kamara's fourth consecutive week with more than 100 total yards and at least one touchdown. With Deshaun Watson tearing his ACL, Kamara has established himself as the Offensive Rookie of the Year favorite.

Ted Ginn Jr. also had seven receptions for 71 yards.

The loss ends an eight-game winning streak for the Saints, who now sit at 8-3. They had scored at least 30 points in each of their previous three contests and were second in the league at 30.2 points per game. New Orleans nevertheless remains the class of the NFC South, as it owns the head-to-head tiebreaker with the 8-3 Carolina Panthers.

The Rams held possession for more than 35 minutes and had 24 first downs. Todd Gurley finished with 128 total yards (74 rushing, 54 receiving), while Watkins (four receptions, 82 yards) helped keep the chains moving.

Los Angeles travels to Arizona next weekend to play the Cardinals. The Saints host the Panthers next Sunday.