the media sets up the ARZ game

Arizona Cardinals report card: Offense gets high marks in win over Buccaneers

Arizona Cardinals top Tampa Bay Buccaneers

http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nfl/cardinals/2017/10/15/arizona-cardinals-tampa-bay-buccaneers-how-cardinals-played/765703001/

Passing offense: A

Carson Palmer was sharp and efficient and went to his sure-handed target, Larry Fitzgerald, early and often to help the Cardinals build a nice lead. It helped that he had time to throw and the offensive line and the rest of his blockers deserve major credit for that. The line featured three different starters than a week ago, and Palmer was only sacked twice. John Brown and Jaron Brown each made at least one huge play and the passing game gained nearly 300 yards without ever completing a pass to a running back.

Rushing offense: A+

Considering where they were and how they looked before the arrival last week of Adrian Peterson, it would be impossible not to give this unit a superior grade. Peterson looked awesome, showing brute force, jukes and jump cuts to power his way to 134 yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns. Again, you have to give the offensive line credit here. They opened up some nice running lanes for Peterson, and when the holes were small, Peterson and his sheer will made them big enough to exploit.

Pass defense: C

Through the first half, this unit deserved an A or at least a high B. The problem was, the more the Buccaneers went into a hurry-up offense, the less pressure the Cardinals could mount on backup Ryan Fitzpatrick, and the result was a secondary getting tested and frequently burned in the furious comeback attempt. Antoine Bethea and Tramon Williams each had an interception, but it almost felt like Arizona needed one or two more turnovers to make up for a second-half fade on defense overall.

Arizona Cardinals Chandler Jones scaks Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Arizona Cardinals Chandler Jones scaks Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick in the second half on Oct. 15, 2017 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. (Photo: Rob Schumacher/azcentral sports)
CARDINALS 2017 SCHEDULE: On to London to play the Rams

Rush defense: A-

The Cardinals have now gone 19 consecutive games without allowing a 100-yard rusher, limiting Tampa Bay’s Doug Martin to 53 yards on 14 carries. The longest run he broke on the day was for 27 yards, and the defense was so stout and the Cardinals were so far ahead so early, the Bucs basically abandoned the running game before they could ever think about trying to get it started.

Special teams: A

It might not have been perfect everywhere, but at least there were no glaring mistakes here in any phase. The coverage teams didn’t allow anything. Kerwynn Williams returned a kickoff for 28 yards. Andy Lee had one of his punts downed at the Tampa 1-yard line thanks to great hustle and body control by rookie Budda Baker. And Phil Dawson nailed his only field-goal attempt and all five of his extra points.

Coaching: B

Bruce Arians tried not to get too conservative after his team raced out to a 31-0 lead. It was impossible not to lean that way, however, and I don’t think you can blame him. It was an easy decision to stick with the running game early considering how well Adrian Peterson ran. Peterson looked fresh, focused and hungry every time he touched the ball. Defensively, there were some issues, and a lot of that was because the offense couldn’t stay on the field after grabbing the big lead. In the end, it was a win, and that’s all that really matters.

On the road again, and the Rams don’t mind

Alden Gonzalez

http://www.espn.com/blog/los-angeles-rams/post/_/id/35897/on-the-road-again-and-the-rams-dont-mind

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The road, in many ways, is their home.

The Rams play out of Los Angeles, but they have performed their best away from it. The sample size is still quite small, but the Rams have won only two games in L.A. since they moved there at the start of the 2016 season, both of which represented their home openers. This year, they’re 3-0 on the road for the first time since 2001 — the year they went to the Super Bowl — and 1-2 at home.

“I don’t even think we should play at home,” Rams running back Todd Gurley said, jokingly (one would think). “We’ve gotten all the wins on the road. That’s been a good thing for us.”

It’s good timing, too.

The Rams beat the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field 27-17on Sunday and are staying in the city through Thursday. From there, they will go to London to serve as the home team against the division-rival Arizona Cardinals. Then they’ll have their bye week, and then they’ll travel to face the New York Giants. That’s three games covering something in the neighborhood of 17,000 airline miles. Their next true home game, Week 10 against the Houston Texans, will come 35 days after their last one.

Because they now play out of the West Coast, and because they’ve drawn the London game, the Rams are set to travel more miles than any other team from the start of the 2016 season to the end of the 2017 season.

This week, their home is a sprawling, luxurious golf-course resort along Jacksonville’s coastline. Rams coach Sean McVay is looking forward to the whole experience. He recently spoke to Atlanta Falcons coach Dan Quinn, whose team played in Denver and in Seattle for back-to-back games and wound up spending an entire week on the West Coast.

“It offers a unique opportunity to continue to connect as a team,” McVay said. “Being away, but still you’re almost creating another camp in-season, if you will, and it feels comfortable.”

The Rams are trying to mimic their typical weekly schedule and adjust it to E.T. They had meetings on Monday, will be off on Tuesday, then practice on the campus of the University of North Florida on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon. They’ll then hold a late, light practice at 4 p.m. local time from London on Friday.

The Rams are 4-2 for the first time 2006, already matching their win total from all of last season.

There have been times, as recently as their Week 5 game against the Seattle Seahawks, when their offense has had to use a silent count at home because so many of the fans at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum were rooting for the opposing team.

Maybe they acquired that road mentality early.

Maybe they have already come together.

“We’re playing as a team and finishing games,” Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald said. “We’ve had a lot of adversity in our games, but we’re still finding a way to play for four quarters and finishing.”

Rams understand Adrian Peterson is older but still a threat

Gary Klein

http://www.latimes.com/sports/rams/la-sp-rams-20171016-story.html

He might have been riding the high from intercepting a pass in the Rams’ victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

And he was no doubt unaware of what was happening across the country in the Arizona Cardinals’ game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

So when Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman was asked whether the addition of running back Adrian Peterson to the Cardinals changed anything as the Rams prepare to play them in London, Robey-Coleman did not parse his words.

“Adrian Peterson is not Adrian Peterson in 2008, 2009,” Robey said in the postgame locker room as a few stunned teammates looked on and listened. “He’s not the same Adrian Peterson, and I think everybody knows that.”

In 2008, Peterson rushed for 1,760 yards and 10 touchdowns for the Minnesota Vikings. In 2009, he had 1,383 yards and 18 touchdowns.

Peterson, 32, showed Sunday that he still has plenty of ability.

Only a few days after the Cardinals acquired him a trade with the New Orleans Saints, Peterson had 134 yards and two touchdowns in 26 carries in host Arizona’s 38-33 victory.

Peterson appears to have filled the void left after star running back David Johnson suffered a wrist injury in Week 1.

Rams coach Sean McVay said Monday that Peterson is a good fit for coach Bruce Arians’ scheme.

“They’re still doing the same things schematically — they’ve just got a great player in Adrian Peterson who’s doing those,” McVay said during a news conference at the team’s hotel. “So I think you just appreciate that, hey, this is a big-time player.

“But a lot of their core principles, especially specific to the run game that you saw him having success with [Sunday], are a lot of things that David Johnson and those other guys in coach Arians’ system have been doing at a high level as well.”

The Rams are 0-2 in London.

In 2012, they lost 45-7 to the New England Patriots at Wembley Stadium. Last season, they lost 17-10 to the New York Giants at Twickenham Stadium.

This will be the Cardinals first time in London. They were scheduled to leave Phoenix on Monday.

The Rams are staying in Jacksonville until Thursday before departing for London.

He’s managing

McVay acknowledged that he remains a work in progress managing timeouts.

“It starts with me,” he said, “I’ve got to do a better job with that.”

But in the fourth quarter against the Jaguars, McVay showed growth as he orchestrated a five-minute, 12-play drive that forced Jacksonville to use timeouts. The drive ended with a field goal that gave the Rams a two-score margin.

It’s not just me handling all that,” McVay said. “I’m in constant communication. … That’s what’s nice about those headsets. It’s not just one person dictating everything.”

McVay gave credit to defensive coordinator Wade Phillips and special-teams coordinator John Fassel.

“That would be silly not to be able to utilize the valuable experience and some of the approaches and understanding of ‘we’ve been here before’ that I haven’t had,” he said.

Is Lance Dunbar ready?

McVay said running back Lance Dunbar was healthy and available to start practicing this week, but a determination must still be made about whether that will happen now or after the bye week, which comes after the Rams play the Cardinals.

Dunbar was signed in the offseason to provide a change-of-pace option behind Todd Gurley. He did not participate in offseason workouts or training camp because of a knee issue and was put on the reserve physically-unable-to-perform list.

Players who start the season on the list are not eligible to practice for the first six weeks. After that, the player can practice and the team has 21 days to put them on the active roster.

“There’s a handful of things involved in that discussion, but that’s something that we’ll have to make a decision on here very shortly,” McVay said.

Etc.

Tight end Derek Carrier, who had been evaluated for a possible concussion, was cleared, McVay said. … The Rams are off Tuesday. They will practice Wednesday and Thursday at a college.

Arizona Cardinals’ Adrian Peterson gives team life entering critical stretch

http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nfl/cardinals/2017/10/17/arizona-cardinals-adrian-peterson-cardinals-rams-london/773034001/

LONDON – The timing of the Cardinals’ first offensive outburst of the season was not impeccable. Game 1, not 6, would have been an ideal time to show you could run and pass the football efficiently.

But better six weeks late than never, and the Cardinals hope the after-market part they picked up from the Saints, running back Adrian Peterson, is what was required to keep the engine from seizing.

The Cardinals needed something good to happen to them last Sunday against the Buccaneers because they are entering a pivotal three-week period of the schedule.

Sunday’s game against the Rams here at Twickenham Stadium is the first of three consecutive NFC West games. After a week off, the Cardinals will play the 49ers in Santa Clara, Calif., and then the Seahawks in Glendale on Thursday night, Nov. 9.

A 3-3 start to the season gives the Cardinals little room for error. All three of their losses are to NFC opponents: the Lions, Cowboys and Eagles. Those defeats could loom large when it comes to tiebreakers that determine playoff berths.

Much could change over the next 11 weeks of the season, but at this point, it appears winning the division might be the Cardinals’ only path to the playoffs.

The Cardinals would take large steps toward that goal by winning the next three games. And vice versa.

Trading for Peterson was the equivalent of placing defibrillator paddles on a team that lacked vital signs. Peterson arrived on Tuesday and immediately energized his new teammates. On Sunday, he walked his talk against the Bucs, rushing for 134 yards and two touchdowns.

Suddenly, quarterback Carson Palmer was throwing 22 passes in a game, not 44. Opposing safeties bit hard on play fakes, leaving receivers open. That led to success in the red zone and a 31-0 lead.

Even the special teams seemed inspired. The Cardinals actually covered punts well in the 38-33 victory.

After the game, there were smiles all around. Voices had a confident edge, something missing since running back David Johnson suffered a dislocated wrist in Week 1.

For one of the few times since 2015, the Cardinals offense looked like the 2015 version, which led the NFL in scoring.

“It’s huge,” Palmer said. “I can guarantee the Rams weren’t anticipating this two weeks ago. It’s a big lift.”

Peterson did have help. The left side of the line, tackle D.J. Humphries and guard Alex Boone, returned from injuries. The tight ends and receivers blocked better. The defense shut out the Bucs for 2 ½ quarters before checking out. And special teams made a contribution for a change.

At the center of all those orbiting story angles, however, was No. 23, Peterson. None of the above happens if General Manager Steve Keim and Arians don’t decide to send a sixth-round conditional pick to the Saints for a 32-year-old running back languishing on the bench.

“It’s satisfying,” Peterson said on Sunday. “Up until this point, you hear so much from outside sources. I do a great job of blocking it out, but I’m hearing it. And when you hear those things, they kind of hit you a little bit. But for me, I never lost focus, and I have always understood what God has blessed me with.”

There is no embarrassment in thinking a 32-year-old running back might be washed up. Often, a back’s skills disappear rather than erode.

That apparently is not the case with Peterson.

“It took me back to my childhood,” outside linebacker Chandler Jones said after the Bucs game. “He’s not that old. It reminded me of Madden (video game), just the way he was through there, and he got on his knees just like he used to do in Madden.”

Peterson’s performance had most of the Cardinals a little giddy after the game. Palmer tried not to dream too far into the future but couldn’t help himself. Johnson could come back by Thanksgiving. Rookie running back T.J. Logan might come off injured reserve before that.

“You try not to, but I can’t help but think what B.A. will come up with when we get T.J. Logan and Dave back,” Palmer said. “I’m excited to see us continue just to see what B.A. comes up with, the wrinkles that we haven’t had because we haven’t had Adrian Peterson, and there’s only one of those in the league.”

Even with Peterson playing the way he did last Sunday, the next three weeks won’t be easy. The Rams now have an offense to go with a stout defense. The 49ers usually play the Cardinals tough, and Seattle hasn’t lost in Glendale since 2012.

“We understand what’s coming,” receiver Larry Fitzgerald said. “We’re playing a game in London … for division leadership. We know we have to play better than we played (on Sunday) to beat a team that is playing really, really good football.”

Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams: Prediction and scouting report for game in London

http://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nfl/cardinals/2017/10/19/arizona-cardinals-los-angeles-rams-prediction-scouting-report-london-game/781095001/

Cardinals on offense

Can serious problems on offense be solved in one week? Maybe we’ll find out on Sunday when the invigorated, confident Cardinals play the Rams at Twickenham Stadium. It’s still hard to believe the offense that scored 38 points against the Bucs last Sunday was the same one that struggled to reach 20 points in its first six games. That’s how much things changed with the addition of running back Adrian Peterson and the return of tackle D.J. Humphries and guard Alex Boone from injuries. Is it realistic to expect 134 yards and two touchdowns from Peterson again? No. He can’t keep up that pace, especially at 32. But Peterson obviously gives the Cardinals a run threat, which allows them to be more diverse on offense. More important, his addition made others around him play better. The offensive line blocked better. Tight ends Jermaine Gresham and Troy Niklas played their best games. Receivers were willing blockers. Carson Palmer had time to throw. The Rams’ defense has dropped off some from previous years, but it’s still learning the system of new coordinator Wade Phillips. The front seven is formidable. Tackle Aaron Donald, the best defensive lineman in football, will challenge the Cardinals’ interior. Robert Quinn will rush off the edge, testing Humphries. Alec Ogletree and Mark Barron are fast, physical inside linebackers. Watching Phillips and the Cardinals’ Bruce Arians match wits should be fun.

Edge: Cardinals.

Cardinals on defense

For years, the Rams were clueless on how to function on offense. Coach Sean McVay has changed that and it’s hard to recognize the unit this year. Quarterback Jared Goff, who looked overmatched as a rookie, has eight touchdown passes and three interceptions. The eight touchdowns are not a huge number, but the Rams will take that TDs-to-interceptions ratio. Todd Gurley spend the 2016 season looking for room to run, to no avail. That, too, has changed. He has 521 yards and four touchdowns. The Cardinals, as usual, will sell out to stop the run. They will try to put the Rams’ offense in Goff’s hands. Watch strong safety Tyvon Branch on Sunday. If the Cardinals’ defense is clicking, Branch will be making a bunch of tackles versus the run. The Rams upgraded their offensive line in the offseason. Left tackle Andrew Whitworth has stabilized a group that was among the NFL’s worst for several seasons. Outside linebacker Chandler Jones, who has seven sacks this season, will test him. The Cardinals’ defense has been streaky all season, playing well for two, three quarters only to put up little resistance during other parts of the game. That has to change or the Cardinals will fall out of contention in the NFC West quickly. The Cardinals appear to have run out of patience with starting cornerback Justin Bethel, who is expected to be replaced in the starting lineup Sunday by Tramon Williams. Bethel is an exceptional athlete, but too often fails to find the ball. Williams, 34, was signed after training camp started and has played a minimal amount this season.

Special teams

For years, the Rams have been strong in this area under assistant John Fassel. The Rams didn’t look as good in this area until last week. They scored two touchdowns on special teams against the Jaguars: a kickoff return by Pharoh Cooper and a return of a blocked punt. Those scores were the difference in a 27-17 victory. The Cardinals’ special teams played better last week after performing far below average in the first five weeks. Bethel should improve the coverage teams if he’s able to play more. Bethel might not start at cornerback, which will make him more available on special teams. They still aren’t getting much out of the return game, but at least Kerwynn Williams had better judgment last week about when not to return kicks out of the end zone.

Edge: Rams.

Bottom line

At 4-2, the Rams have been among the league’s more surprising teams this season. It’s no fluke. They have a direction on offense and should improve defensively as the season progresses. The trade for Adrian Peterson apparently was just what the Cardinals needed. I like how the Cardinals handled the trip to London: arriving early in the week rather than late, as the Rams did. I think it will pay off for them.

Prediction: Cardinals 24, Rams 21.

Opponent Breakdown: Peterson’s Impact on the Cardinals’ Offense

Myles Simmons

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-opponent/Opponent-Breakdown-Petersons-Impact-on-the-Cardinals-Offense/81a65038-a8aa-487e-a3b2-ce6813692c6d

BAGSHOT, Surrey, England — As division rivals, the Rams and Cardinals know each other’s personnel pretty well. Quarterback Carson Palmer has been with Arizona since head coach Bruce Arians arrived in 2013. Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has seemingly played forever, now in his 14th pro season.

But Arizona has one new offensive weapon, and he certainly has made an impact in just a short time with the club: running back Adrian Peterson.

With star running back David Johnson on injured reserve, the Cardinals sent a conditional sixth-round pick to the Saints on Oct. 10 to acquire Peterson. Arizona received an immediate return on the deal, as Peterson rushed for 134 yards and two touchdowns in the Cardinals’ 38-33 victory over the Buccaneers last week.

Rams head coach Sean McVay said this week that he thinks Peterson’s performance “gave their offense as a whole and, really, their team a bunch of juice.”

“One of the things that you’ve always been impressed with him is his patience to the line and then when he makes a decision, he can explode and accelerate in and out of cuts,” McVay said. “He can go through you, he can make you miss, so he showed those things.”

“He just adds a different dynamic to their offensive scheme,” middle linebacker Alec Ogletree said. “They pretty much do the same stuff, but having him [they’re] basically saying, ‘My athlete is better than yours.’ So you have to win your one-on-one matchups and be able to tackle.”

Though Peterson turned 32 in March, he’s still showing the burst and explosion that’s made him one of the best in league history to ever play the position.

“He’s the top of the food chain,” Rams running back Todd Gurley said. “He’s the best of the best. He’s been doing this a while. Nothing but respect for him.”

“He’s a great back and you could tell that he still has a lot to offer to the table. And he’s in a great situation out there in Arizona,” Ogletree said. “They just turned around and handed it to him and let him do what he does. I don’t think he got a chance to really do much of that in New Orleans, so Arizona — that’s what they like to do. And he’s a great back for them to do that with.”

The Rams are plenty familiar with Peterson, as he’s faced the team four times in his career, with varying degrees of success. The club last opposed the running back in 2015, when Peterson rushed for 125 yards on 29 carries. Defensive lineman Michael Brockersalso referenced the 2012 matchup with Minnesota, where Peterson gained 212 yards on 24 carries.

“Man when you have the name ‘All Day’ as your nickname, it’s kind of hard to back that up — and he can give it to you all day,” Brockers said. “I have been a part of that game where he has had 200 yards and you just can’t stop him. So we just have to get him before he gets started, get him in the backfield, get tackles for loss, and mess up their rhythm.”

Squaring off against Peterson will undoubtedly be a challenge, but it’s one the Rams are embracing.

“It definitely makes it more fun,” Ogletree said. “As a defense you go out there and you want to stop the best. He’s one of the best to play this game. Like I said, with a great week of preparation I think we’ll be ready for him for sure.”

“When you are facing a good back like this and you know the challenge is on you to stop him, it’s always, you know we love a challenge,” Brockers said. ”We love to hear that this is a good running game and they are coming in to smash mouth and play real football. We accept that, we love those challenges and we’re looking forward to this game, it’s a divisional game. They know us, we know them, they don’t like us very much, we don’t like them very much. It’s going to be an all out war.”

https://www.si.com/nfl/2017/10/20/week-7-preview-analysis-sammy-watkins-rams-struggles?utm_campaign=themmqb&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social

Andy Benoit

When Adrian Peterson joined the Cardinals, I wrote that he fits their ground game but not their overall offense. I still believe his limitations in the passing game will become a factor, but obviously they weren’t last Sunday. Peterson ran with incredible vision and lateral burst, helping the Cardinals jump out to a 31-0 lead against the Bucs. That lessened the pressure on Arizona’s passing game. The runs were inside designs, but Peterson frequently bounced outside. He must do that again this week when Arizona’s questionable O-line battles a talented Rams D-line.

Rams vs. Cardinals: Who has the edge?

RICH HAMMOND

link: http://www.ocregister.com/2017/10/21/rams-vs-cardinals-who-has-the-edge/

RAMS OFFENSE vs. CARDINALS DEFENSE
Both units have been headed in the wrong direction. The Rams are averaging the most points in the NFL this season, but last week against Jacksonville they were boosted by a kickoff return and a fumble return for touchdowns. The Rams’ offense totaled only 249 yards and went 4 for 13 on third-down attempts. Running back Todd Gurley provided the lone highlight effort. Arizona’s defense hasn’t looked too hot. The Cardinals have allowed 67 points in their last two games, during which they allowed Philadelphia and Tampa Bay to go 16 for 30 on third down. Somehow, Arizona’s defense nearly managed to blow a massive second-half lead against Buccaneers backup quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick. EDGE: RAMS

CARDINALS OFFENSE vs. RAMS DEFENSE
The Rams seemed to get back on track last week when, after a first-play touchdown run by the Jaguars’ Leonard Fournette, they essentially stuffed Jacksonville for the rest of the game. Credit defensive coordinator Wade Phillips for making the necessary adjustments, but Jacksonville was a one-dimensional team. The Cardinals, at least now that they’ve added veteran running back Adrian Peterson, have balance. In Peterson’s debut last week, quarterback Carson Palmer threw the ball a season-low 22 times but was efficient, and the Cardinals totaled season highs with 38 points and 432 yards. Then again, Tampa Bay’s defense is nothing special, so perhaps the Rams will thrive. EDGE: CARDINALS

SPECIAL TEAMS
It’s been good week, bad week for the Rams’ special teams. The unit certainly thrived last week against Jacksonville, with a huge blocked punt that was returned for a touchdown, and kicker Greg Zuerlein and punter Johnny Hekker returned to being their usual steady selves. New punt returner Pharoh Cooper had a couple bobbles, so room for improvement remains. It’s been a tough season for Phil Dawson, Arizona’s 42-year-old kicker who is in his 19th NFL season. Dawson already has missed four of his 12 field-goal attempts (he missed only 3 of 17 last year) and has been inconsistent from beyond 30 yards. Kerwynn Williams’ longest kickoff return this season is 28 yards. EDGE: RAMS

COACHING
While the window for winning appears to be just opening for Sean McVay and the Rams, one wonders how much time Arizona’s Bruce Arians has with this group, particularly given his offensive core. Palmer, receiver Larry Fitzgerald and Peterson all are in their 30s, and star running back David Johnson now is forced to recover from a serious injury. Arians led the Cardinals to the NFC Championship Game in 2015 but missed the playoffs last year and now is 3-3. McVay continues to receive strong praise nationally, but it’s a bit perplexing that the Rams’ passing game isn’t quite what it should be. EDGE: CARDINALS

INTANGIBLES
After their loss in London last year, the Rams decided to shake up things, and spent most of this week in Jacksonville. They will have had less time to adjust to the time change than the Cardinals, who arrived a couple days earlier, but last year the Rams had that “advantage” over the New York Giants and it didn’t seem to help anything. The Rams do have an edge in the fact that they’ve been there. They know the stadium and the weather and all of those things that go along with an overseas game. Some of Arizona’s players have played in London, but this is a first for the Cardinals as a franchise. EDGE: RAMS

MATCHUP TO WATCH
Rams cornerback Trumaine Johnson vs. Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald: This is an obvious one, but it really doesn’t get any more important than this for the Rams. Last week against Tampa Bay, Fitzgerald was targeted 11 times and caught 10 of those passes for 138 yards. Fitzgeranld had a similarly dominant effort last month against Dallas, when he caught 13 passes (on 15 targets) for 149 yards. The Cardinals are rather top-heavy at receiver. Fitzgerald has 465 yards, while Arizona’s next most prolific receiver, J.J. Nelson, has only 277 yards. Johnson did well against Dallas’ Dez Bryant and will be challenged again.

PREDICTION: RAMS 27, CARDINALS 24
It’s difficult to predict a game that could come down to the Rams’ ability to stop the run, because they’ve been so inconsistent in that area this season. Peterson had a masterful performance last week, but can he keep it up, particularly now that the Rams have some film on him within that Arizona offense? Arizona also could give the Rams’ offense some trouble, because chances are the Cardinals will load up in an attempt to stop Gurley, and make quarterback Jared Goff try to beat him. The Rams are headed into their bye week, and it’s extraordinary to think they have a legitimate chance at a 5-2 record.