A pivotal matchup in the NFC will take place on Sunday between the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams.
The Arizona Cardinals’ 20-17 loss to the New England Patriots was brutal in more ways than I’d like to recall.
It is now December in the NFL. No loss in the past matters, as this month decides whether the Cardinals make the playoffs for the first time since 2015. They can finish anywhere from 6-10 to 11-5, so the stakes are very high.
The Cardinals should be entering this game at 7-4. At 6-5, however, things get a bit more complicated. Their opponent on Sunday, the Los Angeles Rams, are 7-4 following a loss to the surging San Francisco 49ers.
This Sunday features two teams who both desperately need this win and are coming off painful losses.
The NFC West has been one of the toughest divisions in football this season, with the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams finishing in the bottom this season. However, both teams have shown plenty of explosiveness throughout the season, and their Week 17 matchup in Los Angeles will likely provide plenty of fireworks when two dynamic offenses take the field.
Arizona (5-9-1) picked up a second consecutive win last week when the team surprised the Seattle Seahawks on the road with a 27-13 victory. After allowing an early touchdown to Russell Wilson and Seattle, the Cardinals kept the Seahawks out of the end zone for the remainder of the game. The Cardinals scored 20 straight points after the opening touchdown by the Seahawks and held on for the victory despite quarterback Kyler Murray exiting the game with a hamstring injury in the second half.
The Los Angeles Rams’ defense of their NFC championship ended officially last week with a 34-31 loss to the San Francisco 49ers. Despite a 323 yard, two-touchdown performance from Jared Goff and two rushing touchdowns from Todd Gurley, the Rams (8-7) could not keep the Niners at bay enough to get a win that would have kept them alive in the NFC playoff race. A Robbie Gould field goal as time expired sealed the fate of the Rams (, who will look to get a win in this game to finish the season with a winning record.
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The Cardinals and Rams clash in the NFL’s regular season finale. Kyler Murray is in doubt to play and Chandler Jones has the chance to make history.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Another season nears its conclusion without a postseason spot for the Cardinals, yet something feels much different this time around. There is much more hope for the future surrounding this team as opposed to the others who failed to reach the playoffs.
Leading the Cardinals in Week 17 will be Offensive Rookie of the Year candidate Kyler Murray (if his hamstring holds up) and Defensive Player of the Year candidate Chandler Jones.
If the large sum of cap space and draft capital are used correctly this offseason, the Cardinals may very well be in the playoff conversation in 2020. But that’s a conversation for another day. In the meantime, the Cards have one more game to close out a frustrating, yet promising 2019 campaign.
Time for our Week 17 preview between the Cardinals and the Los Angeles Rams. Read on. . .
The Los Angeles Rams will take on the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday as the Cards look to start the end of the season strong. Can Kyler Murray lead the team to their first victory since October?
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
The Arizona Cardinals aren’t in playoff contention anymore, although they are not technically eliminated from the playoff race. Despite this, the overall mood of the locker room feels optimistic. The surrounding view of the team is far different than it was at this time last year. While a victory Sunday can’t propel them into the postseason, they can play spoiler to a dreaded division rival.
Recent history hasn’t been kind to fans in the desert when facing the Rams. Los Angeles has dominated the Arizona Cardinals the past two years, outscoring them 130-25. That number includes two shutouts. For four games, Arizona had zero answers for the Sean McVay-Wade Phillips coaching combination.
This 2019 Cardinals team looks to be a lot different than the ones the Rams have played recently. Their record shows that of a ball club featuring a rookie head coach and quarterback, but the box scores show a team that has gone toe-to-toe with some of the league’s best.
This year’s Rams have had a fall from grace after nearly defeating the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl. They’re 6-5 and have sputtered out of control following a strong start to the season. Jared Goff has only eleven touchdown passes compared to twelve interceptions. They’ll be coming into Glendale on a short week following a 6-45 massacre at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens.
The Cardinals very nearly beat that same Ravens team in week two of the season, falling 17-23 after a beautiful pass from Lamar Jackson to Hollywood Brown on 3rd down and 13. That game looks more and more impressive for the Cards as the season moves along, as the Ravens are looking like the AFC favorite for the Super Bowl.
The Cardinals are refreshed after their bye week. In fact, it’s possible all 53 players on the active roster will be healthy this Sunday. Can they start the end of the season strong, or will they come out rusty and unprepared?
