Rams Get First Taste of Adversity, Falling to Cardinals 37-20

The Los Angeles Rams dropped their first game of the season, falling to the Arizona Cardinals in an NFC West showdown.

Nicholas Cothrel | Oct 3, 2021

In the first three games to begin the NFL season, the Los Angeles Rams hadn’t faced much adversity. What the Rams game-planned during the week in preparation for game days, for the most part, they were able to convert accordingly.

However, that wasn't the case in Week 4 when the Arizona Cardinals came into SoFi Stadium and handed the Rams their first loss of the season by the score of 37-20.

For the first time on the year, the Rams encountered their back being up against the wall early on. L.A. had played all of their first three games with leads for the greater part of the contest with the exception of one series in Indianapolis. Therefore, this was unfamiliar territory for the 2021 new-look Rams squad.

“This (football) is a ‘prove it’ game. You’ve got to go out there and do it every time,” Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford said after suffering the first loss of the season. “I wasn’t good enough at doing that today. I think as a team we probably weren’t good enough today in the grand scheme of things."

Entering halftime, the Rams trailed the Cardinals 24-13, being visibly outplayed after the first two quarters by Arizona. While the Rams have yet to lose a game when leading after two quarters under Sean McVay, his head coaching record when trailing at halftime was 5-15 before this matchup – a stat that didn't play favorably into the Rams chances of rallying back after an early deficient.

The Rams scored four times – two touchdowns and two field goals – with just seven points scored in the second half.

With 12:05 remaining in the fourth quarter, the Rams tried a 4th and goal attempt to put the game within two scores but Stafford's pass to tight end Tyler Higbee came up short, giving Arizona the ball back up 21 points which put the game on ice.

Stafford and Cooper Kupp had been the best quarterback to wide receiver duo in the first three weeks as Kupp entered Week 4 leading all pass-catchers in receptions, yards and touchdowns. But against the Arizona secondary, the Rams dynamic duo struggled to muster up that same chemistry they've shown in recent games.

Stafford wasn’t nearly as efficient as he's been in games prior. He finished the day 26 of 41 for 280 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Meanwhile, Kupp logged five catches for 64 yards, his quietest game of the young season.

“I thought he was gutsy,” Rams coach Sean McVay said of Stafford. “There were a couple of things where he didn’t play up to his level early on, but you talk about being able to will us down the field when we ended up coming short (on the long drive). I’ll ride with that guy any day.”

Just when the offense looked all out of whack, kicker Matt Gay who had been perfect on the year, missed his first field goal on a 46-yard attempt in the third quarter after the Rams went eight plays and 48 yards, settling on the three-point attempt.

The Cardinals came into this game, averaging more points per game (34.3) than any team in the NFL, and their explosive offense was as advertised against the Rams. Defensively, the Rams hadn't allowed more than 24 points per game to any opponent through three weeks. But against Arizona, they reached that threshold at halftime, indicating just how well Kyler Murray is leading the charge for a Cardinals offense that looks destined for a playoff run through the early stages of the year.

Murray finished the day 24 of 32 for 268 yards and two touchdowns. On the ground, he rushed for 39 yards on six attempts for a long of 18 yards.

“It’s hard to simulate and mimic and emulate the speed that he plays with, the athleticism, the feel, the instincts,” McVay said of Murray. “That was on display today.”

The Cardinals rushing attack gashed the Rams' defensive front for the better part of Sunday's contest. They ran the ball at will, totaling 216 rushing yards and two touchdowns – both of which came from James Connor.

“We were just a little off,” McVay said of his team's play. “They (the Cardinals) made some plays.”

As the Rams fall to a 3-1 record, they now trail the Cardinals in the NFC West by one game.

It will be critical for the Rams to turn the page and move on from their first loss of the season relatively quickly as they will be tasked with a road game on a short week, going to Seattle to face the Seahawks on Thursday Night Football.

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Nick Cothrel is the Publisher of Ram Digest. Follow Nick on Twitter @NickCothrel.

Published Oct 3, 2021

NICHOLAS COTHREL

Nick Cothrel covers the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated.