Cards (

19.5) at
Rams (

26.5)

Game Overview ::

By >> Mike johnson

• Arizona wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. has been ruled out, which leaves WR Michael Wilson and TE Trey McBride in line for massive target shares once again. 
• These teams faced each other just a few weeks ago and the Rams won 45-17 in a game where they scored on their first five possessions.
• Los Angeles will likely play this game without RB Blake Corum and WR Davante Adams.
• The Rams approach to this game may be influenced by the results of Saturday’s showdown between the Seahawks and 49ers.

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How arizona Will Try To Win ::

Arizona’s approach at this point in the season is relatively predictable. They are one of the more pass-happy offenses in the league with Jacoby Brissett under center and their defense is getting gashed on a weekly basis. Arizona has allowed opponents to score 37 or more points in five of their last eight games, including last week against the Bengals when Cincinnati casually dropped 37 points and dispatched of them easily. The Cardinals defense under head coach Jonathon Gannon had been relatively successful the last couple of seasons playing conservatively and executing a “bend but don’t break” philosophy that forced opponents to march the field with long drives and led to a lot of lower scoring games that were close and competitive. Over the last couple of months, however, the dam has broken and there has been a lot of “breaking” going on for this defense as they allow teams to consistently move the ball and have been giving up far more explosive plays than we had seen over the past three seasons. This defensive failure along with the increased pass rate with Brissett under center has resulted in a lot of wild game environments for the Cardinals.

This week against the Rams is likely to be no different. We saw Bijan Robinson go nuclear on this Rams run defense on Monday night, but he is in another stratosphere of talent from most running backs in the league and that is the case to an even greater degree relative to the lack of talent Arizona has in their backfield. The Cardinals are likely to be chasing points early and unable to run the ball effectively, resulting in another high volume passing game for Brissett. The team will be without Marvin Harrison Jr., which means TE Trey McBride and WR Michael Wilson should see a ton of targets. Wilson had the best game of his career the first time he faced the Rams, with 142 yards and two touchdown receptions. McBride is looking to set and extend the NFL record for receptions by a tight end and should also be heavily targeted against a Rams defense that plays primarily zone coverage and gives up a lot in the underneath and intermediate areas. 

How los angeles Will Try To Win ::