press sets up the Arizona game

First Look: Rams resume NFC West play at Cardinals

Stu Jackson

https://www.therams.com/news/first-look-rams-resume-nfc-west-play-at-cardinals

The Los Angeles Rams return to NFC West play by traveling to Phoenix to take on the Arizona Cardinals this week, with both teams still seeking their first divisional win this season.

In advance of the matchup, here’s an early look at the Cardinals, including notable additions, their top statistical performers in their most recent game, where they rank in certain statistical categories and key storylines.

Notable additions
Traded for RB Kenyan Drake in October. Acquired from the Dolphins in exchange for a conditional 2020 draft pick, Drake quickly carved out a role with Cardinals, posting 15 carries for 110 yards and one touchdown against the 49ers on Oct. 31 while starter David Johnson and backup Chase Edmonds sat out due to injury. His 212 yards in three games with Arizona are 38 more than he had in six games with Miami this season.
Drafted QB Kyler Murray No. 1 overall in April. The former Oklahoma standout is the Cardinals’ leading passer (2,703 yards) and rusher (418) so far this season.

Top performers in Week 11 (Arizona’s bye week was Week 12)

Murray completed 24 of 33 pass attempts for 150 yards and two touchdowns in a 36-26 loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

Drake led the backfield with 16 carries for 67 yards, both game highs, adding six receptions for 13 yards.

WR Christian Kirk led all cardinals receivers with 41 yards, tying with Kirk for the team lead in catches with six. Wide receivers Larry Fitzgerald (five for 37) and Pharoh Cooper (three for 35) accounted for each of Murray’s passing scores.

Defensively, safety Budda Baker registered a team-high 13 total tackles. LB Jordan Hicks added 12. Hicks and rookie safety Jalen Thompson each recorded an interception.

On special teams, kicker Zane Gonzalez made both of his field goal attempts and both of his extra point attempts.

Rankings

Offense
Points Per Game: 15th (22.5)
Yards Per Game: 20th (343.9)
Passing Yards Per Game: 18th (226.2)
Rushing Yards Per Game: 15th (117.7)
Defense
Points Allowed Per Game: 30th (28.8)
Yards Allowed Per Game: 31st (415.2)
Passing Yards Allowed Per Game: 32nd (297.5)
Rushing Yards Allowed Per Game: 23rd (117.6)
Early storylines to watch, and what they mean for the Rams

It’s going to be another big test for the Rams’ defense in Week 13. All eyes will be on the backfield, and not just because of Murray – this week could be the first time the Cardinals have Drake, Johnson and Edmonds all at their disposal.

According to AZCardinals.com’s Kyle Odegard, Arizona head coach Kliff Kingsbury told reporters Monday that there is “definitely” a way to integrate all three into the team’s offensive gameplan against the Rams this week. Should the entire trio be available, that would have Los Angeles preparing for three different running backs capable of rushing for 100 yards in a game.

Furthermore, without there being film of them using all three in the same game, that makes preparation for L.A.’s defense much more difficult, given the unpredictably of what Arizona’s offense may throw at it.

For the Rams’ offense, Sunday’s game could be a chance to get back on track given where the Cardinals’ defense ranks statistically.

5 questions with Cardinals Wire

link: https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2019/11/29/nfl-rams-cardinals-week-13-preview/

How has Kyler Murray looked this season?

Goodness, he has been good. He is on pace for nearly 4,000 passing yards. He only has five interceptions all season and has not lost a fumble this year. His current pace of a little more than 3,900 passing yards would be the sixth-highest total by any player in team history, bested only by Neil Lomax, Kurt Warner and Carson Palmer. He is on pace to throw 20 touchdown passes and fewer than 10 interceptions. That has happened only once team history. He is on pace to set a franchise record for quarterback rushing yards.

He looks every bit the franchise quarterback he was believed to be. He is making plays, making good decisions and taking care of the football. Rookie or not, it is exactly what you want from a starting quarterback.

What is the Cardinals’ biggest weakness?

It is clearly how they defend the pass. They are the league’s worst passing defense, allowing nearly 300 yards per game. They have surrendered a league-high 29 touchdown passes and an opponent passer rating of 113.0. Essentially, they are allowing all quarterback to play at a Hall of Fame level every week.

That is the biggest issue. They can’t stop opposing tight ends and allow opponents to convert on third down 46 percent of the time, the worst rate in the league.

Which player should the Rams worry about most on Sunday?

Chandler Jones is the guy to watch and pay attention to with his 12.5 sacks. He is the Cardinals’ lone consistent playmaker.

Offensively, Kenyan Drake has overtaken David Johnson as the main running back and he can make plays in both the passing game and running game.

Has Kliff Kingsbury been as good as expected or have there been bumps in the road?

There have been a couple of bumps in the road but he has been what he has needed to be. The offense has been turned around. He is developing Kyler Murray. He is making aggressive decisions. The team is playing hard for him and buys into the program. The question moving forward is whether he can help build a capable NFL defense.

What’s your prediction for Sunday’s game?

I think the game is close. The Cardinals, though, will take advantage of the extra rest and time to prepare, as well as the short week for the Rams. The Cardinals will continue to score points and will give up points, but this time they get the one stop they need. They pull off the win at home 31-28

Duel in the desert. pic.twitter.com/cxT6JiM3cb

— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) November 30, 2019

https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-week-13-pff-preview-fantasy-football-advice-betting-projections-2019

LOS ANGELES RAMS @ ARIZONA CARDINALS

Fantasy Football Preview

It’s hard to be a starting quarterback and go an entire month without a touchdown pass. It’s shocking to do it for a team that was in the Super Bowl last year. But that’s what Jared Goff just did, with no touchdowns in November (with three games and a bye in there). The Rams put up only 35 points in the month as they went 1-2 and got embarrassed by the Ravens Monday night to close it out. This week’s opponent, the Cardinals, is obviously less scary than the Steelers-Bears-Ravens run the Rams are coming off of, but until we see the offense start to put things back together, it’s hard to trust any of the team’s options in fantasy.

Betting Preview

The last line to be released for Week 13 took some time with markets unsure on what to make of this Rams squad. They sit as three point road favorites in a game they would have been expected to dominate before the season. Greenline has a slight lean on the current 47.5 total despite a huge discrepancy between these teams in opponent-adjusted defensive ranking.

Can Rams break offensive drought in the desert?

J.B. Long

https://www.therams.com/news/can-rams-break-offensive-drought-in-the-desert

It’s do or done in December for the Rams, who in all likelihood, must win out to play into January.

And perhaps Arizona is exactly where they must go to get on track, given that Sean McVay is 4-0 against the Cardinals, and under his leadership, the Rams have outscored their NFC West foe by a combined total of 130-25 with two shutouts (Week 7, 2017 and Week 2, 2018).

But despite their losing record, these Cardinals are a far cry from the Carson Palmer and Sam Bradford and Josh Rosen-led groups from seasons past.

If the two remaining contests against Arizona were the ones you were banking on for wins down the stretch, it’s probably time to reconsider.

Cardinals On The Calendar

When the schedule was released in April, I remember the relief in some quarters of the Rams facility, knowing that there would be plenty of game film on Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray by the time the calendar flipped to December.

Well, here we are. And while the element of surprise may be minimized, I’m not sure there’s any comfort in watching what the Cardinals have built on offense.

They’ve gravitated to 11-personnel as the season has worn on, moving away from the four-receiver groupings that perhaps they weren’t yet equipped to leverage to their advantage. As a result, Arizona comes off its bye having scored 25-plus points in six of its last seven games, including at San Francisco most recently, a contest in which they held a 16-0 lead.

Conversely, the Rams are spinning their wheels on offense and have been held under 20 points in each of the three games since their bye; they haven’t suffered through a four-game slog since 2016.

Snap a Drought in the Desert

So after a November to forget, here’s hoping it’s a December to remember for Jared Goff.

“I do think sometimes these years can be very good for you, because they’re really good learning experiences,” Rams general manager Les Snead said this week. “You realize as a QB, not every year is going to be a Pro Bowl season. That’s just the way it is.”

You’ve likely seen some variation of this stat this week: Goff has gone three straight games without a passing touchdown, the longest span of his career.

Hopefully, each time that was mentioned, you were also seeing highlights of Cooper Kupp fumbling over the pylon and Josh Reynold’s haul getting called back due to a penalty in the win over Chicago. Context matters.

Nonetheless, I’m looking forward to saying, “There’s the first touchdown pass since London for Goff,” and putting that story line to rest.

The Rams receivers have felt the squeeze, as well.

By a wide margin, Robert Woods has more receptions (51) without a touchdown catch than any player in the NFL this season.

And at seven consecutive games, Brandin Cooks is enduring the longest stretch of games without a receiving touchdown in his career.

This is a susceptible pass defense the Rams are set to face in Week 13, as Arizona has allowed 29 passing scores this season, most in the NFL and their most through 11 games in franchise history.

A Tale of Two Quarterbacks… And Their Turnovers

As we’ve pointed out at various junctures this season, the Rams are defying the odds by playing above-.500 football in spite of their negative turnover margin.

Teams this insecure with the football don’t often compete for postseason spots.

Not that it’s all on Goff, but he’s coming off his fourth multi-interception game of 2019 and has been responsible for 17 total turnovers.

Conversely, Arizona remains competitive because they’ve valued possessions as much as any team in the NFL this season.

Earlier in his debut campaign, Kyler Murray set an NFL rookie record with 211 consecutive passes without an interception. For all he scrambles, he’s yet to lose a fumble. In fact, across the NFL, only Patrick Mahomes and Drew Brees have fewer turnovers (5), and they’ve both played fewer games.

Teammates From Texas

Rams rookie Bobby Evans will make another start at right tackle in place of Rob Havenstein (out, knee) this week. And no one outside the Cardinals complex has a better perspective on the top pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Evans won three state titles with Murray in high school. Then, he blocked for the Heisman-winner at Oklahoma.

On this week’s Rams Revealed podcast, Evans had this to say about his reunion with Murray.

“Oh, it’s going to be crazy man. We’ve come a long way. Both of us. Seeing him do his thing, I’m really proud of the guy.”

I also asked Bobby if he is glad Kyler chose the NFL over MLB, where he was selected ninth overall in the 2018 amateur draft.

“I am. Just to prove to people that he could do it.”

Feast Week

For all the good he’s done in his rookie campaign, Murray absolutely will take a sack. Extending plays and hanging on until the bitter end, the 22-year-old has been dragged down 35 times this season. Only Tampa Bay’s Jameis Winston has been sacked more.

On Thanksgiving weekend, Aaron Donald, Dante Fowler, Clay Matthews and others better be ready for seconds.

Chandler’s Chop

On a better team, linebacker Chandler Jones would be a viable candidate for NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Since being acquired in a trade with New England in 2016, Jones has six more sacks than any other player in the NFL (Donald ranks second with 47.5).

What’s of greatest concern this week is the force with which he arrives at the quarterback. He and Tampa Bay’s Shaq Barrett not only share the NFL lead with 12.5 sacks in 2019, but they’re also the only players with five “strip-sacks.”

Rams fans are keenly aware of how much trouble Goff has had in this department. L.A.’s quarterback has to be on red alert against the Red Sea.

In T-Sizzle’s Sights

One other tidbit I found intriguing about Arizona’s pass rush: 37-year-old Terrell Suggs will have Goff in his crosshairs.

The seven-time Pro Bowler has dropped 76 different quarterbacks during his 17 seasons.

But he’s yet to bring down Jared Goff.

If he gets a sack on Sunday, Suggs would tie Reggie White and Julius Peppers for the most quarterbacks sacked in an NFL career.

Rarely Running Backs

I remember watching intently as Todd Gurley went through his pregame routine in Glendale last season, testing a knee that had been injured in the prior week’s loss to Philadelphia.

An MVP candidate for the better part of 2017 and 2018, Gurley wasn’t able to go that afternoon, and this week serves as a painful reminder that he hasn’t returned to his All-Pro form since.

Gurley is coming off just nine touches against the Ravens, his sixth game this season with 15 or fewer.

Across the field Sunday is another running back just a few seasons removed from All-Pro honors. David Johnson only played eight snaps at San Francisco before Arizona’s bye week, and that was with Chase Edmunds inactive. It was the first time since Johnson’s rookie season he played in a game and didn’t get a carry, as the Cardinals chose to roll with Kenyan Drake, who was acquired mid-season for a paltry conditional sixth-round pick.

Johnson’s reps could be even more restricted now that Edmunds is back from a hamstring injury.

As for Gurley, we’d all love to see him put the past 12 months in the past, break out in Week 13, and give the Rams reason to believe that an undefeated December is possible.