It’s fair to say the Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals have both been better than expected this season despite their two losing records. The Rams beat the Seahawks and Colts, and they held their own against three conference title teams from last year, while the Cardinals shocked the Cowboys in a 12-point win in Week 3.
Heading into this crucial matchup for both teams, Summer Sports released a comparison of the two teams using advanced stats. The outlet used EPA (expected points added) and success rate to see which team has the edge in categories such as passing offense, rushing offense, pass defense and explosive plays.
Out of the 11 categories used, the Rams have been better in nine of them this season. The biggest gaps are at EPA per pass and pass rate over expected; the Rams are 11th in EPA/pass compared to the Cardinals at No. 20, while the Rams are also ninth in pass rate over expected versus the Cardinals, who are 28th.
Defensively, the Rams are significantly better at preventing successful plays (17th), an area where the Cardinals are last in the NFL. Where Arizona has a slight advantage is in the explosive-play department.
The Cardinals have the 15th-best explosive-play rate (Rams are 26th) on offense and they rank 10th defensively in that area, while the Rams are 19th in preventing explosive plays.
See the full comparison below.
NFL Week 6 – Advanced Stats Preview
Arizona Cardinals @ Los Angeles Rams pic.twitter.com/UALMhAI1Vs
— SumerSports (@SumerSports) October 13, 2023
