Los Angeles Rams vs. Arizona Cardinals Preview: Can Defense Stay Hot Against Kyler Murray?
The Los Angeles Rams, once again, found themselves on the right side of a divisional upset on Sunday. They have successfully swept the Seattle Seahawks, diminishing their rival’s chances at quality playoff positioning and boosting their own odds for the NFC’s seventh seed.
The road ahead isn’t necessarily easy, with four games left against current playoff teams, but Los Angeles giving itself the best shot possible means taking care of the games it is supposed to. Against a 2-9 Arizona Cardinals team, Sunday’s contest certainly qualifies.
The asterisk surrounding Arizona is, of course, the change it made under center. Quarterback Josh Dobbs is out (literally, to Minnesota), and a now-healthy Kyler Murray is back. The Cardinals coaching staff has continued to put its players in positions to succeed, and that has been no different with Murray back in the fold.
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray attempts to scramble for a first down against the Rams.
Michael Chow-USA TODAY Sports
The Rams no longer have to deal with just Murray and his incredible ability to pull rabbits out of his hat and scamper away from defenders. They’ll also have to deal with competency, which Arizona hasn’t shown much of in recent years.
The last time these two faced, in Week 6, Los Angeles found itself a fairly easy 26-9 victory, dominating on the ground in what was running back Kyren Williams' career game. Williams did get hurt in that game, though he returns to action on Sunday.
If the Rams continue to dominate on the ground, it won’t matter whether receiver Cooper Kupp is out or if the defense turns one awesome performance into a string of them. However, banking on a successful return isn’t ideal, and again, the Cardinals are better than they were a month ago.
Murray can mitigate Los Angeles’ pass rush wins and tire out defenders with his scramble drills. An inexperienced defense will have to remain disciplined, especially when plays break down and chaos reigns.
The secondary showed signs of gelling into a more formidable unit when they limited Seattle’s passing attack. Making those strides consistent is key to racking up another divisional win and keeping their playoff hopes alive.
WHAT: Los Angeles Rams (4-6) vs. Arizona Cardinals (2-9)
WHERE: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ (63,400)
WHEN: Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023, 1:05 p.m. (PT)
TELEVISION: FOX
RADIO: ESPNLA 710 AM, Tu Liga 1330 AM
ODDS: Rams +1.5 (-125), -118 Moneyline, Total: 44.5 (o -110/u -110)
