Michael Thomas set a Saints’ team record the last time he played the Rams with 211 receiving yards. The final 72 came on a touchdown reception late in the fourth quarter that iced the Saints’ 45-35 victory.
Thomas’ performance started a back and forth between Rams cornerback Marcus Peters and Saints coach Sean Payton, although both Peters and Payton downplayed “Gumbo Week” on Wednesday.
But Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips took the blame for Thomas’ 12 receptions and shredding of Peters in that Nov. 4 game.
“I did a disservice to him in that first game,” Phillips said Thursday, via Christopher Dabe of the Times-Picayune. “He didn’t have any help with the receiver.”
The Rams have played better in the secondary since the return of cornerback Aqib Talib, who missed the Week Nine game against the Saints with an ankle injury.
The Rams allowed 45 plays of 20 yards or longer, with 38 of those coming on pass plays in the nine games Talib missed, per Dabe. In the six games since Talib’s return, they have allowed 21 total plays, with 14 on pass plays.
“We haven’t given up a lot of big plays in the passing game [with Talib back],” Phillips said.
It’s a good bet Talib, not Peters, will see a lot of Thomas on Sunday.
