A lot has gone wrong with the Los Angeles Rams offense this season. Between injuries, inefficient running and penalties, it’s been difficult to get going on that side of the ball – a surprising development considering how much talent the Rams have on offense.

But two things were the reason Los Angeles was unable to consistently put up points: third down and efficiency in the red zone. Entering Week 13, the Rams ranked 25th in red zone touchdown percentage and 31st in third-down conversion rate.

On Sunday against the Saints, the Rams made big strides in both areas. After going 0-for-8 on third down last week and starting Sunday’s game 0-2, the Rams moved the chains on four of their last seven third-down attempts to finish the game 4-9 – a respectable rate, one Performance that allowed them to maintain their attacks and pick up points in the second half.

The Rams had major problems in the red zone in their first eleven games of the season and had to settle for one field goal after another. This was particularly problematic given the inaccuracy of Joshua Karty, who missed a field goal in each of his last three games.

Against the Saints, the Rams were 3 of 3 when entering the red zone and scored all three touchdowns. In a game they won 21-14, that was the difference. Instead of kicking three field goals and only scoring nine points, they scored three touchdowns. One was a 4-yard rushing score by Kyren Williams and the other two were short touchdown receptions by Demarcus Robinson and Puka Nacua.

In a game where the Rams only made 55 offensive plays and attempted just 24 passes, they needed to be as efficient as possible when scoring opportunities. And they were.

If the Rams can keep moving the chains on third down and score touchdowns in the red zone, they can be competitive against any team. That’s just a big “if” at this point in the year because as we’ve seen week in and week out, the offense is wildly inconsistent.

Sunday’s game was a step in the right direction and could lead to improvements throughout the offense. They will be tested against the 10-2 Bills, who rank eighth in red zone defense but are just 20th in third-down conversion rate allowed.

The Rams will need to score touchdowns instead of field goals this Sunday because the Bills have scored at least 30 points in six straight games and have one of the best offenses in the league.

This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams have made major strides over the Saints in two key areas