On Sunday, January 21st, the Los Angeles Rams and New Orleans Saints fought for the NBC championship at the Superdome in New Orleans. Progressing into overtime, the Rams ended up defeating the Saints with a score of 26-23. The officiating crew made a mistake on a “no-call” play during the game, which gained much attention from fans and the media.

  This is not the first time that the Rams have met the Saints this season. The last time they played against one another, the Saints handed the Rams their first loss, which ruined their chance of being undefeated all season.

  Since then, the Rams have added two new players to their team. One of the players is C.J. Anderson, who is speculated to be a potential running choice beside runnerback Todd Gurley. The other new player is Aqib Talib, who plays the cornerback position. According to the New York Times, he said, “We didn’t feel the pressure. We applied it.”

  The first quarter commenced with the Saints after the Rams deferred after winning the coin toss. The Saints proceeded to force a turnover on the Rams, the first that LA has had in three games. The Rams later ran into an issue when quarterback Jared Goff could not hear Coach Sean McVay.

  As the game continued, the Rams’ defense was in disarray and the score is 13-0 with the Saints in the lead. The first quarter winded down to an end and Los Angeles was behind, with only 15 yards. In addition, the crowd noise also prompted the Rams to carry out a false start following a timeout.

  The Rams were able to gain some offensive momentum after Coach McVay made a risky call. The second quarter wrapped up with Gurley’s help in the Rams’ touchdown run. By halftime, the score was 13-10 with Los Angeles trailing right behind New Orleans.

  The Saints opened the third quarter with a two-yard touchdown pass. Tight End Tyler Higbee was able to score a touchdown pass with the assistance of Josh Reynolds turning the score to 20-17.

  Later on, the score was tied after a field goal. The Saints had less than two minutes remaining and three timeouts. After another field goal, New Orleans took the lead with a score of 23-20. Robey-Coleman, Rams cornerback, hit Tommylee Lewis, Saints wide receiver, early on a pass. While both players headed towards the ball, Coleman touched Lewis before Lewis could catch the ball.

  Going into overtime, Saints Coach Sean Payton plead his case to the referees.The fans also persisted with their booing. Michael Toth (11), an avid football fan, remarked, “I personally think that the Saints were robbed of their chance at the Super Bowl…The referees clearly missed a penalty on the Rams.”

  The game concluded with a field goal and the Rams’ victory. Robey-Coleman commented, “The referee made the call, we respect it. Now I’m going to the Super Bowl. Nobody can change that.”

  Although the Rams ended up prevailing the end against the Saints, both teams showed true teamwork and determination on the field. Ms. Haney, a West High teacher and a devoted Rams fan, said, “One thing I have learned over the years and this is just one incident is that you can’t blame a loss on a bad call because it’s the sum of all the games. If you really deserve to win, you would have been ahead by a lot more than just this much.”

  The Los Angeles Rams are set to play against the New England Patriots on February 3rd at the Super Bowl Llll.