Cardinals-Rams preview: The most important game of the year
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.
Playoff Seeding:
(AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
The Cardinals were able to dodge a bullet last week by not losing their playoff spot despite a loss. This week, however, things could be different. The 5-6 Vikings, 49ers and Bears are all right behind the Cardinals, praying they lose to the Rams this week. Should the Cardinals falter, they'll likely have at least two teams that tie their record. The Bears are set to play the Lions and the Vikings will take on the Jaguars. Those are games you'd figure they take care of.
A win moves the Cardinals to 7-5 and takes the No. 5 seed away from the Rams. They'll send Los Angeles down to the No. 7 seed and move up two spots. With all that in mind, the Cardinals either potentially lose a playoff spot or sit in a nice position at the No. 5 seed. There is just so much on the line in this game.
Arizona's offensive struggles and L.A.'s stout defense
(AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
The Cardinals offense was bordering unstoppable near midseason. Their three-game stretch against the Seahawks, Dolphins and Bills saw them put up at least 30 points in each of those contests. They were electric and couldn't be stopped by either Brian Flores' or Sean McDermott's elite defensive units. Since Murray injured his shoulder against the Seahawks the second time around, however, the unit has lost its explosiveness and relegated to almost their 2019 form. With Murray practicing fully on Thursday, there is optimism that the shoulder issues are behind him. They won't be getting an easy opponent to get right against. In fact, it's quite the opposite. The Rams have one of the NFL's best defenses, and in particular, best pass defenses. They also have this year's Defensive Player of the Year who will be tasked with chasing down Kyler Murray. Their unit is impressive. The feature matchup in this one is DeAndre Hopkins against Jalen Ramsey. Hopkins has been quiet since the 'Hail Murray', but hasn't received many favors in terms of the play-calling. Hopkins was able to get the better of Ramsey in many of their matchups in the AFC South, but was always limited by the All-Pro corner. All eyes will be on those two. For the Cardinals, Murray's dynamic rushing and Kingsbury's play-calling must be on display this Sunday. The threat of Murray taking off opens up so many opportunities for this offense. They need to force Jared Goff and the Rams' offense to play from behind.
Another Struggling Offense
Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
The Rams' offense has struggled of late. Sean McVay's unit has not had a 30+ point outing since October. They'll go up against an Arizona defense that has really found their stride. Historically, however, McVay has had no troubles moving the ball against the Cardinals. Jared Goff was two yards short of the 200-yard passing mark and was picked off twice against a 49ers defense that is still missing some key pieces. On the season, Goff has 14 total turnovers, which is second in the league. Many of those struggles have come since week 8, where he's thrown six interceptions and lost four fumbles. These were pointed out by RamsWire's Cameron DaSilva, who did an excelled breakdown on Goff's recent struggles. Vance Joseph's defense must contain Goff and the Rams offense to allow the Arizona offense to find its lost rhythm. Playing from behind against Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey's unit is not a recipe for success. Goff looked rattled after some early pressure from the 49ers, which means Joseph will likely try to dial up some blitzes to start the game.
The Cardinals have lost six straight to the Rams. They've shown their ability to break trends this year (as seen with their home victory over Seattle). This week, more than ever, they'll need to break that streak.
Positional Comparisons
Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports
QB: AZ RB: AZ WR: AZ OL: AZ TE: LA FS: AZ SS: LA CB: LA LB: AZ DL: LA EDGE: LA HC: LA K: LA P: LA
Conclusion
. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)
Losing this game would be disastrous for the Cardinals. They'd fall to 6-6 after a 5-2 start to the year. They'd severely jeopardize their chance at making the playoffs. The most frustrating part about this team is as soon as the offense started struggling, the defense played very well. If the two units could mesh together, they'd be a very difficult team to take down. Should they accomplish that the rest of the way, they'll be in a great position heading into January. Hopefully Larry Fitzgerald can clear COVID protocols for this game. They missed him last week and at Fitzgerald's age, the Cardinals and their fans must cherish every game they have left with him. See you on Monday. Listen to the latest from Cards Wire's Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red. Subscribe on Apple podcasts or Spotify. Latest show:
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