THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Rams' defensive players left Minneapolis frustrated. They blitzed a season-high 20 times and quickly penetrated into the backfield on most of the attempts, but not once did they sack Case Keenum, the Minnesota Vikings' slippery quarterback.

It overshadowed what might have been an even bigger problem in Sunday's 24-7 loss -- the Rams had trouble with the run again.

Vikings running back Latavius Murray picked up 95 yards on only 15 attempts, averaging a season-best 6.33 yards per carry in the process. Jerick McKinnon averaged a meager 3.43 yards on 14 carries, but the Rams still gave up 171 yards on 35 attempts, which led to Minnesota holding the ball for more than 37 minutes.

The Rams' defense is allowing the fifth-most rushing yards per game (123.3) and the sixth-most rushing yards per carry (4.53) as it prepares to face a New Orleans Saints offense with the NFL's most efficient running game.

"It's something that we've got to be aware of," Rams coach Sean McVay said -- and that's putting it lightly.

Mark Ingram is part of a potent Saints ground game that also includes Alvin Kamara. Ingram and Kamara rank fourth and first in the NFL in yards per carry. Sean Gardner/Getty Images

Come Sunday, the Rams (7-3) will be looking to shut down the dynamic duo of Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara. Ingram needed only 11 carries to reach 134 rushing yards in a 34-31 overtime win against the Washington Redskins and now ranks fourth in the NFL with 5.20 yards per carry. Kamara, the NFL leader at 6.38, added 116 scrimmage yards in that game as the Saints improved to 8-2.

Since Week 4, Ingram and Kamara rank third and fourth in the NFL in scrimmage yards, respectively, combining for 1,558 in a span of seven games.

Over the past two weeks, Ingram, the more traditional runner, and Kamara, who factors heavily into the passing game, have combined for 540 yards from scrimmage and six touchdowns. That's 53 percent of the Saints' yardage total and 67 percent of their offensive touchdowns.

Together, Ingram and Kamara have helped the new-look Saints -- traditionally overly reliant on Drew Brees' arm -- lead the NFL with 4.82 yards per carry. They'll have the Rams' attention heading into an important Week 12 matchup at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Los Angeles' front seven can be fierce and dynamic, but it can also be relatively undersized. Teams will continue to test the Rams on the ground as a means of gaining consistent yardage and keeping their resurgent offense off the field.

"I think there's just always a level of urgency knowing you're going against a very good rushing team this week," McVay said. "We've got to make sure we're on the screws with just our preparation and our approach, and the players have to be aware of it. We want to see that practice preparation translate to the game reality, and that's going to be a great challenge for us."