We've had a lot of lousy Thursday night games this year. Raiders-Chargers just last week was an all-time ugly one. So while Rams-Saints was no instant classic, it was kind of nice to see a couple of quality passers and receivers making a whole lot of pretty throws and catches.

QUARTERBACKS

A quick review of the 2022 game log tells us that not only did Matthew Stafford get knocked around and ultimately injured last season, but he wasn't doing too well even before that. In his eight full games he threw just 1 or no touchdowns seven times. Imagining him to come back on this seemingly gutted, rebuilding team whose roster had been destroyed by previous cap manipulations and iffy veteran signings required a lot of optimism. But here we are, and 35-year-old Stafford is averaging 261 passing yards, and he's been throwing a ton of touchdowns lately: multiple scores in five straight, and 14 total in those games. He even had a couple dropped last night. Kyle Shanahan gets most of the ink, but Sean McVay appears to be doing some incredible work with Stafford this year. New Orleans came into this game ranked 5th in pass defense. He carved them up.

Derek Carr had a game that was similarly impressive, throwing for 319 yards and 3 touchdowns. The key difference is that Carr did a lot of his cooking after the Rams had zoomed out to a 20-7 (and then 27-7, and 30-7) lead. But let's give him credit for making a lot of nice throws. He missed a couple, including an early one to kill a drive with the game 10-7, giving the Rams a short field to take the 17-7 lead that pretty much removed a lot of mystery. The announcers called it a drop by Olave, but the ball was offline; a better throw and maybe the Saints finish that drive. I'm not trying to rip Carr here, but the guy has his critics and it's clear why. He's not consistent, and sometimes his best performances come in no-pressure situations or against relaxed defenses. It seems.

RUNNING BACKS

Kyren Williams, fantasy MVP? If we're talking about performance relative to draft position, he's the guy. Cam Akers was the Rams' Week 1 starter, in case you've forgotten. What I have not forgotten is drafting Williams in dynasty a year ago, keeping him around on my roster all season as he averaged 3 carries and a catch per game as the No. 3 (Malcolm Brown had a similar workload), and dropping him in the offseason, keeping a lot of far inferior "sleepers" who are not on my roster today. Williams got stuffed on a lot of chances near the goal line last night and at one point was involved in a scary injury situation; looked like he got poked in the eye or something. But he scored a late touchdown from 10 yards out seems to be everything the team hoped they might have got when they drafted Darrell Henderson early a few years ago.

Poor game for Alvin Kamara. Saints didn't get him going early, and the game got out of hand too quickly for them to ever establish the run. We can give Carr some credit, I guess, for pushing the ball downfield rather than settling for easy checkdowns to Kamara, as he has in the past, but you're not thrilled if you started him. Jamaal Williams barely played or touched the ball, as anticipated.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Here's where the meat of this matchup came in, especially in fantasy terms. Four different wide receivers caught touchdowns. (Another dropped 1 or 2.) Five different players at the position caught at least 5 passes. Probably the guy started most often, Cooper Kupp, had the most disappointing night, but it was oh so close to being better, with a dropped touchdown at the goal line and another ball he probably normally catches. I know he let you down last night, but with 12 targets he didn't look that much different from the fantasy MVP of two years ago.

Puka Nacua was probably started a little less because he's been the No. 2 of late, but he had a huge game, with an early touchdown, a circus catch to open the second half, and 180 total yards (he even ran the ball twice). Any discussion of fantasy MVPs needs to include him. He's had more quiet games than big ones since Kupp returned to the lineup, but you're feeling great if you started him last night.

Chris Olave came in with an ankle injury, but kudos to the Saints for listing him as practicing fully in their estimated report for Wednesday, because you definitely wanted him in last night's lineup. Busy from the outset, 9 receptions, and a late 2-point conversion, too. At times he looked like he wasn't 100 percent, getting up slowly, maybe favoring the ankle a little. But he gutted it out and gets some extra rest before Week 17, so you'll have him if you're still playing. It's harder to get behind Rashid Shaheed; in the Weekly we wrote about the Saints not tapping into his big-play ability lately, so naturally he runs a great route and gets a great throw on a 45-yard touchdown. I still consider him to be more miss than hit in this offense.

The No. 3s must also be discussed. The Rams missed big-time with Allen Robinson, but they're sure hitting it big with Demarcus Robinson. The 29-year-old was only playing special teams the first half of the season, never being a notable player in Kansas City or (last year) Baltimore. He's now caught touchdowns four weeks in a row, catching 15 passes for an average of 57 yards in those games. Some really impressive grabs last night, including the touchdown in the back of the end zone (great throw, too). I'm not sure anyone is actually starting LA's No. 3 wideout, but he has sure exceeded expectations. A.T. Perry caught a late touchdown for the Saints, but that was his only target despite playing 60 percent of the snaps.

TIGHT ENDS

Some will remember me, earlier in the season, saying I would never recommend Taysom Hill. Hill would go on to make me look bad by having a hand in a touchdown (either running, receiving or passing) four weeks in a row, looking like the Cheat Code tight end (in the many leagues where he has such eligibility), forcing me to write, I admit defeat. Start Taysom Hill.

Is anyone still starting Hill? In his last five games he averages 37 total yards without scoring; 7 total yards the last two weeks. The reason I dislike him (as a player, he might be a very nice guy) is because year after year the team goes from using him regularly to forgetting about him entirely at the drop of a hat. Other TEs capable of top performances (let's say, Njoku or Engram or a lot of other guys), the team doesn't just suddenly decide not to throw them the ball multiple weeks in a row. A bad game out of Engram you're still probably getting 5 catches for 45 yards and 9 PPR points. A bad game out of Hill you get zero, and there's no rhyme or reason to the Saints sticking him on the field near the goal line one game or letting Kamara or Carr get those snaps the next week. I don't want that in my lineup.

Big game for Juwan Johnson, 4 for 48 with a touchdown. I have similar issues with him, but at least he fairly regularly gets targets. Tyler Higbee too, as he's now gone for 29-36 yards four weeks in a row. I guess I can endorse Hill over Higbee; at least Hill might win you a week every once in a while. Higbee has one game with even 40 receiving yards since Kupp returned to the lineup, and 2 TDs all year.

MISCELLANEOUS

If the Falcons lose to the Colts this week, I believe the Bucs can wrap up the NFC South by beating New Orleans next week (in Tampa) no matter what happens in other games involving either team the rest of the way. They can definitely eliminate the Saints. I think everyone is rooting for the Falcons to fire Arthur Smith (sorry man), and I don't know that Saints fans are hoping Dennis Allen keeps his job, either. In a division that's clearly been there for the taking, Atlanta and New Orleans have routinely come up small in close games, winnable games, games that maybe could have been helped by good moves on the sidelines. Maybe the Saints surprise and win their last two and steal the division, but it doesn't look likely.

The Rams, in contrast, are going to be a handful for some other team in the playoffs. They're definitely beating the Giants next week to get to 9-7, and in Week 18 they're at San Francisco -- which maybe will have wrapped up the No. 1 seed and a bye then. Or maybe 9-8 gets the Rams in the playoffs anyway. Regardless, if the Eagles or Cowboys are the 2 seed and host Matthew Stafford and this offense in the opening playoff game, no one should be surprised if that team loses a high-scoring affair. If the Rams are the 6 seed and going to a 3rd seed Detroit, they're also potentially winning. (Man, there's a storyline: Lions hosting their first playoff game in 30 years and who should they face but Matthew freaking Stafford.)

And if they get in as the 5, traveling to a 4th-seeded NFC South winner, they're probably winning that one. Their defense isn't too good and doesn't make plays; I don't think they're getting far. But at least a one- or two-game playoff run from McVay's boys would not be surprising.