The Los Angeles Rams started the year 0-1 after getting crushed by the Buffalo Bills, sending Sean McVay under .500 for the first time in his career. They’ve quickly worked their way back from that hole and pushed above .500 for the first time this season.
Buy Rams TicketsWith a 20-12 win over the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon, the Rams pulled into first place in the NFC West – pending the 49ers’ result. They kept Arizona out of the end zone all afternoon, despite getting outgained by the Cardinals, 365-339.
It wasn’t the most impressive win by the Rams, but the score doesn’t tell the full story of how well Los Angeles controlled the game.
Final score: Rams 20, Cardinals 12
The Rams seemed to be dominating the game for most of the afternoon, yet the Cardinals somehow stuck around no matter how far up Los Angeles went on the scoreboard. The Rams led 13-0 then 20-9, but Arizona kept things interesting and prevented Los Angeles from slamming the door shut.
Game notes
- The Rams not only got a three-and-out on the Cardinals’ opening drive, but they also blocked the punt on fourth down and set themselves up with a short field. It was Michael Hoecht who got a hand on the punt and Jake Gervase caught it at the 35.
- Cooper Kupp scored his first career rushing touchdown on a 20-yard run from a jet sweep handoff. It was also his fourth touchdown of the season, putting the Rams up 10-0.
- Jalen Ramsey was outstanding in this game, breaking up the first two passes that were thrown his way in coverage. He also had a tackle for a loss on a third-down run in the flat, keeping the Cardinals short of the sticks.
- The Rams got off to a great start and were moving the ball easily, but they hit a wall in the second quarter. They punted it on three straight possessions at one point, only gaining 18 yards on those three drives.
- Matthew Stafford was smart and careful with the football. He didn’t take any unnecessary shots or push the ball into double- or triple-coverage like he’s been known to do, taking what the Cardinals defense gave him.
- Los Angeles stonewalled the Cardinals’ rushing attack, limiting Arizona to only 70 yards rushing. That forced Kyler Murray to throw the ball a career-high 58 times, which is probably more than Kliff Kingsbury would’ve liked him to.
- With the secondary banged up, Derion Kendrick stepped up as the No. 2 cornerback opposite Ramsey. Grant Haley also appeared to get more opportunities than Robert Rochell in nickel packages. Kendrick played well in his first NFL action, tying for the team lead with nine tackles.
- Cam Akers appeared to grab the role as the Rams’ lead running back again this week, especially on early downs. He ran the ball well, but he also had a costly fumble in the fourth quarter when the Rams were on the goal line. Still, he finished with 61 yards on 12 carries with one touchdown.
- Matthew Stafford was held without a touchdown for the first time in his tenure with the Rams. He finished with 249 yards on only 25 attempts, averaging about 10 yards per attempt.
- Allen Robinson was quiet for the second time this season, only catching two of five targets for 23 yards.
It was over when...
… The Rams recovered an onside kick with 1:07 left in the game after the Cardinals made it 20-12 with a late field goal. The game felt like it was over long before that, but the Rams just couldn’t find a way to put the Cardinals away.
3 stars of the game
No. 3 star: Ben Skowronek – 4 carries, 66 yards
No. 2 star: Aaron Donald – 6 tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFL
No. 1 star: Jalen Ramsey – 8 tackles, 1 TFL, 2 PBU
Play of the game
Kupp has scored a lot of touchdowns in his career, but on Sunday afternoon, he scored one in a new way. He had his first career rushing touchdown, a 20-yard rush on a jet sweep to the left. He almost got in untouched, but the play still looked much too easy for No. 10.
COOP, HE GONE!
🏃♂️: @CooperKupp | 📺: @NFLonFOX pic.twitter.com/4NfI3W5XcC
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) September 25, 2022
What's next?
The Rams get an extra day of rest this week because their next game will be on Monday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers. They’ll be on the road for the second straight week, and it’ll also be their second consecutive divisional matchup.
