Tag: rams cardinals

The Rams are trying to avoid a two-game losing streak, which would effectively end any playoff hopes they still have. Coming off an embarrassing 45-6 loss to the Ravens, Los Angeles will face Kyler Murray and the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon on the road.

This is a winnable game for the Rams, but their offense has been abysmal lately and Arizona is better than it’s 3-7-1 record indicates. Here are the three biggest concerns for the Rams in Week 13.

Kyler Murray’s mobility

Lamar Jackson gave the Rams fits last week and Murray is equally athletic and can turn broken plays into big ones for the Cardinals. That’s something Los Angeles has to be very wary of because Murray is playing extremely well right now and can beat a defense in several ways. The Cardinals don’t use nearly as much read-option as the Ravens do, but he’s always a threat to pull down the ball and run, and there will be several designed plays where Murray can use his legs.

If the Rams can’t find an answer for him like they couldn’t against Baltimore, the defense is going to be winded and struggle in a big way.

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.

After five straight games against non-divisional foes, the Los Angeles Rams are back in action against an NFC West rival in Week 13. They’ll be on the road for the first time since Week 10, too, visiting the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday afternoon.

This game won’t be on national television like the last two Rams games were, which means the audience watching at home will be significantly smaller. It’ll be televised for those in Arizona and Los Angeles, but beyond that, not many areas will get the game.

Check the 506 Sports map below to see if Rams-Cardinals will be on TV near you.

Most of the country won’t get a late-afternoon game on FOX with 49ers-Ravens being on the network at 1 p.m. ET, which is why the Rams-Cardinals game won’t be on TV in very many locations.

Raiders-Chiefs will be the late-afternoon game most fans get on CBS, with part of the country getting Chargers-Broncos instead.