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Saints, Rams head to overtime

NFC Championship - Los Angeles Rams v New Orleans Saints

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 20: Ted Ginn #19 of the New Orleans Saints makes a 43-yard catch against Lamarcus Joyner #20 of the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth quarter in the NFC Championship game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 20, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)

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Sixty minutes aren’t enough to settle the NFC.

We’re headed to overtime in New Orleans with the score tied at 23 after the Rams hit a field goal at the end of regulation. The kick came shortly after Wil Lutz put the Saints back up by three with 1:45 left in the game.

The field goal was set up by the biggest offensive play of the day by the Saints. Ted Ginn outjumped safety Lamarcus Joyner for a 43-yard gain that set the Saints up in prime scoring position.

The Saints may not have had to leave the Rams any time to answer had the officials thrown a flag for what appeared to be an egregious penalty by Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman. Robey-Coleman hit Tommylee Lewis with his back to the ball on a third down pass in clear view of officials who decided it was a clean play.

Rams coach Sean McVay has been lauded as the league’s rising star for the last two years and talk of looking for the next McVay has been part of the league’s head coaching searches this year, but he’ll find himself on the receiving end of some pointed questions about his decision to kick a field goal with just over five minutes left to play. The Rams were down three on the 1-yard-line at the time, so many will wonder why he didn’t put the ball in his offense’s hands.

That may have been a moot point had Joyner played the ball to Ginn a little better, but the Rams wound up with a chance to win the game thanks to the no-call.

They had to settle for Greg Zuerlein’s third field goal of the day, but all is not lost because there’s more football to come in the Superdome.