GAME Overview ::
By MIKE JOHNSON >>
- Arizona was knocked from playoff contention last week when it lost in Carolina to a pesky Panthers team.
- The Cardinals’ backfield has a lot of question marks right now as James Conner and Trey Benson are both uncertain to play with knee and ankle injuries, respectively.
- The Rams are in the driver’s seat in the NFC West and are currently one of the hottest teams in the NFL.
- Rams WR Cooper Kupp has scored less than six fantasy points in three of his last four games.
- These teams met once already this season, way back in Week 2, but the Rams were decimated by injuries and have a far different roster this time around.
HOW ARIZONA WILL TRY TO WIN ::
Arizona’s postseason hopes have been dashed, as the Cardinals blew a game in Carolina against a Panthers team that has a very poor record but has been extremely competitive recently. The Cardinals trailed basically the entire game but were able to score 10 points late in the fourth quarter to force overtime, before stalling offensively and then allowing Carolina to score a touchdown to win it. Back in August, no one really expected the Cardinals to be as competitive this season as they have been, but after heading into their bye week with a 6-4 record, it is certainly deflating for that to be the way they were bounced from contention. There is still a lot to play for, however, as this is only the second season of the Jonathan Gannon era for the Cardinals and they can squeak out a winning record by winning their last two games against the Rams and 49ers.
Arizona’s offense has been built and relied heavily on the running game all season long. We have consistently seen them struggle to move the ball offensively when they face an opponent with a strong run defense that can make them one-dimensional and force long third-down situations, as the Cardinals do not have many players who create quick separation for easy throws and the passing game concepts they use tend to lack creativity. Arizona’s best game of the season was probably the Week 2, 41-10 victory over this Rams team, but that was heavily fueled by a hot start and the Rams getting hammered with injuries. This week, Arizona’s approach will be tested, as workhorse RB James Conner and his primary backup, rookie Trey Benson, are both uncertain to play in this game. The Cardinals’ offensive play-calling has skewed run-heavy most of the year and their primary targets in the passing game have been TE Trey McBride on short and intermediate routes and running backs on schemed looks or dump-offs. Cardinals QB Kyler Murray ranks 28th out of 34 qualifying QBs in average intended air yards per pass attempt. These factors show the conservative nature of the Cardinals’ offense, as most of what they do is through the running game or short passes that are, more or less, an extension of the running game. Murray has also added over 500 rushing yards this season, although his rushing production has been highly variable with seven games of more than 40 rushing yards and seven games of less than 20 rushing yards.
The Rams’ defense blitzes and gets QB pressure at roughly league-average rates, while the Cardinals’ offensive line ranks sixth in PFF pass-blocking grade. The Rams have had strong defensive outings mainly when they can push around weaker opponents. While Arizona is not elite, the Cardinals are also not a pushover and should be able to give Murray time in this one. The one caveat to that is if Arizona is unable to run the ball as effectively as it would like to, its pass protection may suffer in long down-and-distance situations. The first matchup between these teams saw Murray make several off-script plays, as he broke contain and hit receivers (mainly Marvin Harrison Jr.) downfield against a depleted Rams secondary. Los Angeles is healthier now and it is highly relevant that the Cardinals’ big plays were not due to schematic or coaching advantages. The Rams play the third-highest rate of zone coverage and Harrison’s success this season has been largely against man coverage. He is certainly capable of hitting in this matchup again, but the past performance should not be used as an indicator of future success. The Cardinals will likely not change their stripes this late in the season and will ride their running game and pepper McBride with targets to slowly matriculate the ball down the field.
You must be logged in to view collective notes about a game.
You must be logged in to add notes about a game.