Kyle Brandt: "There are only two teams in NFC that have a top 10 run offence and a top 10 run defence - it's the Saints and it's the Rams"; Watch Good Morning Football every weekday at midday on Sky Sports NFL
Friday 11 December 2020 17:43, UK
The Los Angeles Rams are being tipped for a run in the NFC Championship game by Good Morning Football's Kyle Brandt, following their Thursday night win over the New England Patriots.
In a rematch of their Super Bowl LIII loss from two years' ago, the Rams secured a convincing 24-3 win over the Patriots, seeing them move to 9-4 and a half-game ahead of the Seattle Seahawks (8-4) atop the NFC West standings.
The performance, led by a 171-yard effort on the ground by rookie running back Cam Akers and backed up by another impressive display on defence, was enough to convince Brandt of their credentials.
"I think the Rams are going to the NFC title game; I'm in on this team," he said. "They hit, they run, and they're not run upon.
"You may say, 'that's a lot of teams', but really there are only two teams in NFC that have a top 10 run offence and a top 10 run defence - it's the Saints and it's the Rams.
"Packers, Bucs, Seahawks, Washington; none of them can say that. None of them run or hit as well as the Rams and the Saints.
"The only concern is the quarterback. That's why I liked seeing (Jared) Goff go over the top last night [against the Patriots], get a little fired up.
"The only concern once those playoffs start is that Goff is capable of an 'F'. Aaron Rodgers, Russell Wilson and those guys might give you a 'C-' game, but never an 'F'.
"In the Dolphins game this year, against the Niners, Goff was terrible. So it freaks you out as a Rams fan, but I think he has come a long way and the defence and running game are awesome."
On the opposite sideline, Patriots quarterback Cam Newton again struggled, being benched late in the fourth quarter for backup Jarrett Stidham after completing just nine of 16 passes for 119 yards - plus a pick six.
Newton has struggled with injuries for the past three seasons, having surgery on his right shoulder in early 2019, while a Lisfranc fracture to his foot kept him out of all but two games last season.
The former Carolina Panthers QB signed a one-year deal with the Patriots this offseason, but he struggled mightily to recapture his 2015 MVP season form.
The Patriots slipped to 6-7 on the season with defeat to the Rams, making a late run to the playoffs increasingly unlikely, and GMF's Peter Schrager thinks it might be time for a change.
"We love Cam Newton, but I don't know if he can operate an NFL offence anymore - he can't throw the ball anymore," Schrager said.
"I give Cam a lot of credit. He is playing beyond the level you could even imagine with how his throwing motion is looking and how the ball is coming out.
"But here's how I look at it: you've got a few games left, is Stidham they guy? Throw him in, let's see it.
"Cam is not the guy, it's just not there. They were winning in miraculous ways the last few weeks, with great defence, special teams and Cam finding a way to win without having to use his arm.
"They have literally been playing with one arm tied behind their back right now.
"It might be time to at least see Stidham, so that you know he's your guy or not moving forward."
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