Injuries have decimated what once looked like a promising season for the Rams. Save Torry Holt, every name-brand player on the Rams' roster has missed time due to injury.
The thing is, offensively, their skill-position players are all healthy. If they can protect Marc Bulger -- a sizable if, considering the state of their offensive line -- they can hurt the Saints through the air with three quality receivers. Despite their offensive DVOA of -22.3%, they are capable of putting up a substantial number of points.
Defensively, the Rams are healthier, but their top defensive player, Leonard Little, is finished for the season. Little was probably the only player the Rams couldn't afford to lose; to cover his strong-side-end position, they will rely on Victor Adeyanju, a second-year pro who has shown flashes of being a productive player.
Despite their injuries, and their struggles, the Rams are not a team to be taken lightly. The Edward Jones Dome hasn't been selling out, so corwd noise won't be as much of a factor as it once was. Left tackle Alex Barron is among the league leaders in false starts, so I expect the Superdome crowd to bring him to tears by game's end. Still, with an extra week to get healthy and to harness their aggression, the Rams are capable of winning this game.