The Arizona Cardinals take on the Los Angeles Rams Sunday afternoon for their first NFC West divisional game of the season. It is their first game against each other since the Rams eliminated the Cardinals from the postseason in the first round with a 34-11 blowout on their way to winning the Super Bowl.
Buy Cardinals TicketsAs this is the first time this season the Rams and Cardinals face each other, Rams Wire managing editor Cam DaSilva gives us some insight to the team he covers.
We go behind enemy lines below.
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Addition of Allen Robinson, Bobby Wagner
The Rams had a few notable additions in the offseason – how have WR Allen Robinson and LB Bobby Wagner looked so far?
Robinson was nowhere to be found in Week 1 but he came alive last week with a handful of catches and his first touchdown. Wagner has done a nice job in the middle of the defense and actually leads the team with two sacks. Wagner isn’t as fast as he once was, but his instincts haven’t fallen off one bit. I expect Robinson’s role to continue to grow as he builds chemistry with Matthew Stafford.
Changing O-line
The Rams entered the season with a couple of new starters on the O-line. With no Andrew Whitworth or Austin Corbett, how has it fared so far?
The line has undergone a ton of changes beyond just those two departures. Starting center Brian Allen got hurt in Week 1, causing right guard Coleman Shelton to move to center. Tremayne Anchrum Jr. replaced Shelton at guard, but he broke his ankle in Week 2 and will now be replaced by A.J. Jackson.
Got all that?
The offensive line bounced back after a disastrous game against the Bills but there’s plenty of room for improvement. All things considered, though, it could be worse.
The good and the bad
Through two games, what have the Rams done well and what has ailed them?
They’ve done a good job of forcing turnovers. They’re tied for the league lead with seven takeaways through two games, picking off four passes and recovering three fumbles. Where they’ve struggled is running the ball. The offensive line has been a weakness of this team through two weeks, hurting both the running game and the passing attack. It improved in Week 2, but it still needs to get better than it has been for the offense to take the next step.
Matchups
Which matchups are you most excited about this weekend and which ones are you most concerned about?
I wish we were getting treated to Jalen Ramsey against DeAndre Hopkins, but another battle I’m excited to see is Cooper Kupp against Byron Murphy. The Cardinals are one of the only teams that has held Kupp in check, and Murphy is a big part of that. One matchup that has me worried is Marquise Brown against David Long Jr. – and really, the entire Rams secondary. They’re without Troy Hill so even more is on Long’s shoulders now.
Note: David Long has also been ruled out with an injury.
Prediction
To me, the Cardinals’ offense simply isn’t the same without Hopkins. And over the last five years, the Rams have owned Arizona, looking especially dominant in the playoff game in January. It’ll be a close matchup I think, but I’ll take the Rams to win on the road after finding some momentum last week at home. Rams 24, Cardinals 20
