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The New Orleans Saints advanced to the NFC Championship Game for the third time in franchise history after beating the Philadelphia Eagles 20-14 in the divisional round on Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
Drew Brees powered the Saints in the win, throwing for 301 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Alvin Kamara had 106 yards from scrimmage, while Michael Thomas caught 12 passes for 171 yards and a touchdown.
In what’s likely to be his last game with the team, Nick Foles finished with 201 yards, one touchdown and an interception.
The Eagles got the ball to the Saints’ 27-yard line with one minute, 52 seconds left in the game to get into position for a possible go-ahead score. Alshon Jeffery let a Foles pass slip through his hands and into the arms of New Orleans cornerback Marshon Lattimore to deny Philadelphia’s comeback attempt.
Saints Running Game Will Determine Outcome in Rematch vs. Rams
As much as Brees means to the Saints, the duo of Kamara and Mark Ingram will most likely set the tone for New Orleans in the conference title game.
In their matchup with the Dallas Cowboys, the Los Angeles Rams held Ezekiel Elliott to 47 yards on 20 carries. The Cowboys gained just 308 yards as a team.
Los Angeles also held the ball for 36 minutes, 13 seconds, keeping the Dallas defense on the field for long stretches. The Rams defensive line dominated the Cowboys up front, and that had a domino effect for the rest of the game.
The Saints can counteract that with Kamara and Ingram, who ran for 115 yards in their 45-35 victory earlier this year.
Neither Kamara nor Ingram had a big game against the Eagles, but they both delivered key runs in the fourth quarter to help the Saints seal the win.
Ingram broke free for a 36-yard run to get New Orleans into Philadelphia territory on a drive that culminated in a 39-yard field goal by Wil Lutz to give the home team a six-point lead.
New Orleans Saints @Saints
Mark Ingram gashes the Eagles for a 36-yard run!
#HomeInTheDome | #PHIvsNO https://t.co/jE2Nw3sB3g
Kamara got the critical first down run on what proved to be the final possession of the game. On 3rd-and-10 with 1:03 remaining, he gained 12 yards to move the chains and allow the Saints to run off the remaining time on the clock.
New Orleans already beat the Rams once in a shootout. They’d be better off trying to slow down the pace a bit more in the second go-round in order to keep Jared Goff, Todd Gurley, Robert Woods and Los Angeles’ high-powered offense off the field.
What’s Next?
The Saints will play the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC title game, with kickoff scheduled for 3:05 p.m. ET on Jan. 20.
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