The Los Angeles Rams got back in the win column on Sunday afternoon with a victory over the Arizona Cardinals in their first of two meetings this season. The Rams dominated in the second half, outscoring the Cardinals 20-0, but Arizona held a 9-3 lead late in the first half before Los Angeles finally woke up.
Los Angeles is now 3-3 on the year and just two games back of the San Francisco 49ers, so the team’s playoff hopes are very much alive after six weeks. And with Cooper Kupp looking like his usual self, the Rams are in great shape leaving Week 6.
Here are six key takeaways from Sunday’s victory at SoFi Stadium, a convincing 26-9 win.
1
Rams finally had a good second half
The second half has been a trouble spot for the Rams all season, scoring only one touchdown in the second half (excluding overtime) since Week 2. That completely changed on Sunday because the Rams not only shut out the Cardinals in the final 30 minutes, but they scored 20 points of their own and pulled away from Arizona after trailing 9-3 in the first half.
Up to this point, Los Angeles had been a first-half team that struggled to put teams away in the final 30 minutes, but it was good to see the Rams finally close out a game the way Sean McVay wants to see them finish games.
2
Kyren Williams was a massive part of this win for the Rams
If not for Williams, the Rams may not have won this game. They leaned on Matthew Stafford in the first half and it didn’t work, going 0-for-5 on third down in the first half with only 123 total yards. Williams had more yards himself than that in the second half, rushing for 154 yards in the final 30 minutes with one touchdown.
He provided a much-needed spark on offense after the unit was sputtering in the first two quarters, gaining 154 of the Rams’ 249 total yards in the second half. Had he not caught fire against Arizona in the second half, the Rams may not have come back to win.
3
Cooper Kupp showing no limitations with hamstring injury
Kupp sure seems to be fully recovered from the hamstring injury that kept him out of the first four games of the season. He showed no ill effects from that injury again on Sunday, playing just about a full workload in the win.
Oh, and he looks as explosive as ever, too. He beat the Cardinals deep for 49-yard catch before halftime, and also had a 37-yard reception earlier in the game where he sprinted down the left sideline.
He’s fully cemented his place as the Rams’ No. 1 receiver with his second straight 100-yard performance, catching seven passes for 148 yards and his first touchdown of the year.
4
Even Sean McVay had to realize his play calling was bad in the first half
The Rams attempted three running plays in the first half, which gained a total of 5 yards. He inexplicably refused to call many run plays early on against the Cardinals, giving the offensive line no chance to get in a rhythm, nor allowing Williams to get into a groove.
The Rams came out of the halftime break looking like a completely different team on offense. They ran it eight straight times on the opening drive alone, gaining 60 yards on the ground before Matthew Stafford hit Kupp for a touchdown two plays later.
The Rams became a more physical team in the second half and wore down Arizona’s defense, which was the difference in the game.
5
Byron Young came up big on defense
The Rams’ pass rush may not be loaded with talent outside of Aaron Donald, but Young looks better and better by the week. He had six tackles, one sack and two quarterback hits on Sunday, forcing a key fumble in the second half to thwart and potential comeback attempt by the Cardinals.
His speed is undeniable on the edge and it shows throughout each game, using that explosiveness to beat tackles around the corner and pressure the quarterback. It’s encouraging to see his progress not only as a pass rusher, but an all-around defender on the edge.
6
Tutu Atwell’s role has shrunk since Kupp’s return
For the second straight week, Atwell was barely involved on offense. He had a 30-yard reception, but that was his only catch and target of the afternoon. Last week, he was targeted five times but had just two catches for 9 yards, one of which was a touchdown.
Of Stafford’s 24 pass attempts, 16 of them went to either Kupp or Puka Nacua. Kupp accounted for 148 of Stafford’s 226 yards on Sunday, so the Rams struggled to get anyone else the ball when airing it out.
Granted, Williams’ unstoppable running was a big reason for the lack of pass attempts, but the Rams could stand to get Atwell more involved.
