Rams at Arizona Cardinals: Who has the edge?
RAMS (4-6) at CARDINALS (2-9)
When:
Where: State Farm Stadium (Glendale, Ariz.)
TV/Radio: FOX (Ch. 11)/710 AM; 93.1 FM; 1330 AM (Spanish); Sirius 380, 225
Line: Cardinals by 1
Notable injury designations
Rams: OUT: S Quentin Lake (hamstring); QUESTIONABLE: WR Ben Skowronek (hip)
Cardinals: OUT: CB Antonio Hamilton (groin), DL Kevin Strong (knee), WR Michael Wilson (shoulder); QUESTIONABLE: S Joey Blount (knee), WR Marquise Brown (heel), RB Emari Demercado (toe), DL Jonathan Ledbetter (shoulder), WR Zach Pascal (hamstring), LB Jesse Luketa (ankle), S Jalen Thompson (back)
What’s at stake? Following the Seahawks’ loss to San Francisco on Thanksgiving Day, the Rams can move within one game of a playoff spot with a win over the Cardinals. With the Packers rising and holding the tiebreaker over the Rams, Sean McVay and his team can’t afford a setback against a team like the Cardinals that are out of the hunt.
Who’s better? The Rams won the first matchup with the Cardinals 26-9 at SoFi Stadium , which is tied for the Rams’ most lopsided victory of the season. But after starting the season 1-8, the Cardinals have split the two games since quarterback Kyler Murray returned from an ACL tear. Arizona will also have lead running back James Conner back this weekend after he missed the first divisional game, so even if the Rams are the better team, this is a different Cardinals squad than they faced in October.
Matchup to watch: Kyler Murray vs. Rams defensive front. The Rams were careful to acknowledge that former Cardinals starter Joshua Dobbs did a good job while leading the team. But Murray provides a different dynamic for the Rams with his ability to extend plays with his legs, even 10 months removed from an ACL tear. “He’s fast, he’s dynamic. He can break your heart in one instance with a throw or his legs and that makes him extremely dangerous. And they’re definitely a better football team with him,” defensive coordinator Raheem Morris said. The Rams’ defensive front will be tasked with keeping Murray contained, and showing some growth from earlier struggles against Anthony Richardson and the Colts.
Rams win if: ... The passing offense gets back on track and Matthew Stafford throws for upwards of 300 yards. ... They clean up last week’s messy performance and limit themselves to six or fewer penalties. ... They make Murray one-dimensional and hold him below 30 yards rushing.
Fantasy sleeper: It may be tempting to hold Rams RB Kyren Williams out in his first week back off injured reserve , but he remains the Rams’ top back and he had a career game last time he played the Cardinals, rushing for 158 yards on 20 carries. So feel secure inserting him into your starting lineup.
Prediction: Rams 24, Cardinals 11. Beat reporter’s record:
