The Rams are back on the road this week after two straight prime-time games at home. They’ll visit the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon, and ahead of this NFC West clash, we talked to Jess Root of Cardinals Wire.
We discussed several topics ranging from Kyler Murray’s play as a rookie to Kliff Kingsbury’s work thus far as a first-year head coach.
How has Kyler Murray looked this season?
Goodness, he has been good. He is on pace for nearly 4,000 passing yards. He only has five interceptions all season and has not lost a fumble this year. His current pace of a little more than 3,900 passing yards would be the sixth-highest total by any player in team history, bested only by Neil Lomax, Kurt Warner and Carson Palmer. He is on pace to throw 20 touchdown passes and fewer than 10 interceptions. That has happened only once team history. He is on pace to set a franchise record for quarterback rushing yards.
He looks every bit the franchise quarterback he was believed to be. He is making plays, making good decisions and taking care of the football. Rookie or not, it is exactly what you want from a starting quarterback.
What is the Cardinals’ biggest weakness?
It is clearly how they defend the pass. They are the league’s worst passing defense, allowing nearly 300 yards per game. They have surrendered a league-high 29 touchdown passes and an opponent passer rating of 113.0. Essentially, they are allowing all quarterback to play at a Hall of Fame level every week.
That is the biggest issue. They can’t stop opposing tight ends and allow opponents to convert on third down 46 percent of the time, the worst rate in the league.
Which player should the Rams worry about most on Sunday?
Chandler Jones is the guy to watch and pay attention to with his 12.5 sacks. He is the Cardinals’ lone consistent playmaker.
Offensively, Kenyan Drake has overtaken David Johnson as the main running back and he can make plays in both the passing game and running game.
Has Kliff Kingsbury been as good as expected or have there been bumps in the road?
There have been a couple of bumps in the road but he has been what he has needed to be. The offense has been turned around. He is developing Kyler Murray. He is making aggressive decisions. The team is playing hard for him and buys into the program. The question moving forward is whether he can help build a capable NFL defense.
What’s your prediction for Sunday’s game?
I think the game is close. The Cardinals, though, will take advantage of the extra rest and time to prepare, as well as the short week for the Rams. The Cardinals will continue to score points and will give up points, but this time they get the one stop they need. They pull off the win at home 31-28.