The Cardinals looked more complete than most expected when they took the Buffalo Bills to the limit. In the same week, the Rams looked complete but could not find the missing piece of the puzzle in an overtime loss to Detroit. The teams are now set for a collision course this Sunday looking for their first wins of the season.
But which versions of Kyler Murray and Matthew Stafford will take the field?
Whether you’re a fan of the Cardinals or the Rams, Sunday’s showdown will have massive implications on the direction the season is going to go. Yes, I am well aware that it is only Week Two but go ahead and tell that to ANY of these teams. Every week should be treated like it’s the last game of the regular season, and the playoffs are on the line. Bear this in mind also that this is a divisional game, and with Christian McCaffrey out for the next month and some change, this is the perfect time to standout from the crowd and take control of a wide open division.
Injury Bug
The Rams come into this game feeling the pains of the early season with sophomore standout Puka Nacua on IR, meaning that a few of the new faces in the WR corps most likely seeing play time on Sunday. Along with Nacua being out, TE Davis Allen (back) is listed as out for tomorrow’s game. G Kevin Dotson (Foot), CB Cobie Durant (Toe) and S Quentin Lake (Hip) are listed as questionable. The Rams are hurting on defense as it is, and with the Cardinals newest weapon most likely being utilized more on Sunday aka Marvin Harrison, Jr., the secondary as well as the DC of LA will have to cook up some sneak packages to keep Murray and Harrison from connecting more on Sunday.
As for the Cards, their injury bug is rather slim when compared to the Rams. Max Melton is in the final stretch of concussion protocol but is listed questionable. Kyler Murray has been making sure that his knee has been holding up but will start on Sunday with the nightmares of Aaron Donald breathing down his neck no longer keeping him up at night to play more Call of Duty on PS Live. Xavier Weaver is being bothered by issues with his Oblique, so he was limited in practice this week and is listed as questionable for Sunday.
Bottom Line
In honor of the late, great James Earl Jones, we will keep the ending as light as possible. The phrase goes like this: “If you build it, they will come.” Jones in the acclaimed classic, “Field of Dreams,” Jones stated, “People will come Ray. People will come.” This now makes sense for Arizona. With the artists formerly known as the Coyotes now setting up shop in Utah, the spotlight returns to both the Diamondbacks and Cardinals to make Arizona feel relevant again when it comes to sports.
After seeing the matchup last week against the Bills, it’s hard to bet against the Cardinals for a swift turnaround after endless dismal seasons following their playoff loss to the aforementioned Rams a few years ago. In theory and on paper, the Cards should win this nailbiter and clinch the first victory of the year in epic fashion.
But I am a betting man, and I still feel the Rams can pull it off.
Even with Nacua on the shelf, the team still has Mr. Triple Crown himself Cooper Kupp. They also got Tyler Johnson, Tutu Atwell, Demarcus Robinson, Xavier Smith and rookie sensations Drake Stoops and Jordan Whittington. Both Stoops and Whittington should see some play time on Sunday, and this is mainly because of the fact that Nacua is out. The Rams should use this loss to their advantage, and considering the team finally came together in the final stretch of last Sunday’s defeat by the Lions, it will take some outside the box thinking by Sean McVay to rebuild the trust he lost last week by relying on just Kupp and Nacua.
So…who wins this slugfest? Do not expect a shootout between the two, but do expect a good ol’ fashioned ground and pound. I look forward to seeing James Connor back on the field against the likes of Ronnie Rivers, Kyren Williams and rookie dump trucks Blake Corum and Cody Schrader. Kyler will be Kyler, and that could play to the Rams advantage. There is a good chance we will see a face-off between Harrison, Jr. and Derion Kendrick, but don’t be surprised if we see rookie sensation Josh Wallace stepping up in place of Tre’Davious White.
I see the Rams pulling off the win here because Kyler is still Kyler, and McVay has always had a few tricks up his sleeve to get the team over the finish line. Yes, it will be close, but I see the defense snapping out of its funk, the offense remembering who they are, and the team getting the ship righted at the right time.
Final Score: LA Rams 31, Arizona 24