Tag: rams cardinals

There are two NFC West showdowns being held in Week 17, but only one of them carries a lot of meaning. Rams-Cardinals is not that game.

They may not be playing for postseason positioning, but the season finale for both teams is important for player evaluation and pride; Sean McVay has said repeatedly that he wants to finish with a winning record.

In advance of this matchup, we talked to Jess Root of Cards Wire to gather intel on players such as Kyler Murray, Chandler Jones and Kenyan Drake. Here’s our conversation on the upcoming game.

How big of a spark has Kenyan Drake provided over David Johnson?

Drake has been huge. He has energized the locker room with his swagger. He has jumpstarted the offense with his explosiveness and big plays. For whatever reason, David Johnson just hasn’t had the juice to power the offense. The team talks about Drake like he is a long-term piece.

Is Chandler Jones the best edge rusher in the NFL, in your opinion?

The numbers certainly suggest it. No one has more sacks since 2016. He led the NFL in 2017 and leads the league this year. He has the length, the motor, the explosiveness and the power. No one else combines that with the same consistency with which he plays. Even with 19 sacks, he has dropped into coverage about 12 percent of the time this season as well. He might have equals in the league, but no one is overall better.

What’s the most encouraging thing the Cardinals have to build on for next year?

It comes down to Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray. Murray looks like the real deal and Kingsbury is proving to be flexible enough for the NFL. He has adapted to change the offense, while Murray has been successful doing a number of things.

Overall, how would you grade Kyler Murray’s rookie season?

It’s the best rookie QB season for any Cardinals quarterback. He is one of only three rookies to have at least 3,000 passing yards and 500 rushing yards. If he plays Sunday, he will likely finish with over 3,500 and 600. He still has room for improvement but it can’t be graded any lower than an A. He has exceeded very high expectations.

What’s your prediction for this game?

I wouldn’t be surprised if the Cardinals won with how they are playing, but I don’t think it will happen. I do expect them to be competitive and it will come down to the fourth quarter. The Cardinals will run the ball well and get some pressure on Jared Goff, but the Rams will get a 23-20 win.

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The Rams and Cardinals will take the field on Sunday afternoon, but neither will be playing for a postseason berth. Instead, it’ll be a matchup for bragging rights and pride, with the Rams trying to finish above .500 and Arizona looking to end the year on a high note.

This game will be overshadowed by the other NFC West showdown on Sunday night between the Seahawks and Cardinals, as well as two NFC East games that will decide the winner of the division. As a result, Rams-Cardinals won’t be broadcast to a very wide audience this weekend.

Check the 506 Sports TV map below to find out if the game will be available in your area. FOX will carry it with Chris Myers and Daryl “Moose” Johnston on the call.

The game will only be on TV in Arizona and Southern California, which is understandable considering the lack of significance it carries. Kickoff is set for 4:25 p.m. ET on Sunday from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

It’s the Rams’ last game at the Coliseum, so there is some meaning in that regard.

The Rams were in grave danger of falling way behind in the NFC playoff race, desperately needing a win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday afternoon. They got exactly what they needed, blowing out Kliff Kingsbury’s squad on the road, 34-7.

It was an unusually dominant win by the Rams, who went 1-2 in their last three games, including a 45-6 loss to the Ravens. They were in complete control of this game from start to finish, keeping the Cardinals off the scoreboard until there was 8:35 left in the fourth quarter.

The Rams offense was hot out of the gate, but the scoreboard didn’t reflect that as they led 3-0 after two drives. Then they broke through with a touchdown pass to Tyler Higbee and scored on three of their following four possessions.

The Rams looked like the team we saw in the last two years, but it was against the Cardinals, whose defense has not been great this season. Still, it was an encouraging performance by Los Angeles.

Player of the Game: Jared Goff

There were a lot of players to choose from, but Goff had arguably his best game of the year. He racked up 424 yards on 32-for-43 passing with two touchdowns and a passer rating of 120.7. He sat out half of the fourth quarter, too.

Stat of the Game: 27

The Rams had 27 first downs in this one, which is exactly how many they had in the previous two games combined. They also totaled 549 yards, their most of the season.

Game notes:

• Goff looked like a completely different quarterback than he did the last three games. He was making every throw to every part of the field, whether he was in the pocket or rolling out to one side or the other. His touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp was one of his best throws of the game, fitting it into a tight window for six.
• Todd Gurley once again nearly reached the 100-yard, gaining 95 yards on 19 carries with one touchdown. He also caught one pass for 20 yards, giving him more than 100 yards from scrimmage. If not for David Edwards’ holding penalty, he would’ve had another touchdown and 30 more yards rushing.
• Tyler Higbee and Robert Woods did the heavy lifting in the passing game. Woods caught 13 of his 19 targets for 172 yards, while Higbee finished with seven receptions for 107 yards and a touchdown. Higbee had those numbers at the half, and set new career-highs in receptions and yards.
• Taylor Rapp could’ve easily had three interceptions, but he finished with just one. He dropped a pick-six and had another interception called back by a pass interference penalty, which was only called after Arizona challenged the non-call. The pass that he did pick off he returned 31 yards for a touchdown.
• The defense as a whole was stout on Sunday. Outside of the garbage-time yards and points the Cardinals picked up, Los Angeles essentially shut down Arizona’s offense. Prior to the fourth quarter, seven of the Cardinals’ nine drives went for fewer than 10 yards and only one had more than six plays. The Cardinals picked up 117 yards on their final three possessions and finished with 198 total yards in the game.
• David Edwards did not have a good game, committing four penalties on the afternoon. One was a false start, while the other three were holding penalties, one of which negated a 30-yard touchdown by Gurley.

The Rams and Cardinals will meet for the first time this season on Sunday afternoon, pitting Sean McVay against his friend Kliff Kingsbury. It’ll also be the Rams’ first taste of Kyler Murray, who joins the ranks of a very strong division of quarterbacks.

To get you ready for Week 13 of the regular season, we’ve compiled all the important game day information – from streaming options to the officiating crew on Sunday. And be sure to follow along on Twitter with @TheRamsWire and @camdasilva.

You can live stream the game on fuboTV (try it free).

Los Angeles Rams at Arizona Cardinals – Sunday, December 1 at 4:05 p.m. ET

TV channel: FOX

Live stream: fuboTV (try it free)

Radio: ESPN LA 710 AM

Location: State Farm Stadium

Forecast: Mostly cloudy, 60 degrees, 2 mph winds

Referee: Alex Kemp

Odds: Rams -2.5, over/under 47.5

The Los Angeles Rams are on the road Sunday, visiting the Arizona Cardinals for the first time all season. Coming off a demoralizing loss to the Ravens, the Rams need a win in the worst way possible.

A loss would sink them below .500 for the first time in the Sean McVay era, almost ensuring they won’t make the playoffs in the very competitive NFC race. They’re favored over the Cardinals, but it’s not a huge spread at only 2.5 points, which says a lot about the state of the Rams against a 3-7-1 team.

The experts still like Los Angeles, but not overwhelmingly. According to NFL Pick Watch, only 54% are picking the Rams to win this game straight-up.

Of all the games this week, that’s the tightest margin of expert picks in the league. The Cardinals are much better than their 3-7-1 record indicates, and they nearly beat the 49ers twice in the last month.

The Rams need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive and avoid an alarming downward spiral after starting the year 3-0.