The Los Angeles Rams are set to host a showdown between undefeated teams when the Arizona Cardinals visit SoFi Stadium to battle for NFC West supremacy in Week 4.
The Rams are coming off a huge win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that has helped solidify them as one of the best teams in the league. However, the Cardinals are looking to make a statement of their own by putting an end to their losing streak against head coach Sean McVay, who is 8-0 in his career against them.
Rams Offense vs. Cardinals Defense
The hype surrounding quarterback Matthew Stafford’s arrival has been justified since being named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time in three games. Meanwhile, his No. 1 option in wide receiver Cooper Kupp was given NFC Offensive Player of the Month honors after leading the league in receptions (25), yards (367) and touchdowns (5).
The Rams will receive a major boost in the backfield with Darrell Henderson expected to make his return from a rib injury. It will be interesting to see if McVay looks to establish a potential 1-2 punch with Henderson and Sony Michel given the latter’s performance in Week 3.
The Cardinals have made some notable improvements on the defensive side of the ball so far, especially when it comes to defending the pass. They are currently giving up the eighth-fewest passing yards (202.0) thanks in large part to a pass rush that is top-5 in sacks with 10.0 as a group.
Interestingly enough, Chandler Jones remains sack-less since erupting for 5.0 in Week 1 and J.J. Watt still has yet to record a sack in the 2021 NFL season. They should have their work cut out against a Rams offensive line that has only given up one sack in each game so far.
Rams Defense vs. Cardinals Offense
The Rams defense enjoyed a solid performance against a high-powered Buccaneers offense that saw them bring quarterback Tom Brady down three times. Jalen Ramsey has started an early bid for NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors as the league’s premier lockdown corner and the pass rush continues to feed off defensive tackle Aaron Donald’s efforts up front.
This group did suffer a key loss in Week 3 after placing outside linebacker Justin Hollins on injured reserve due to a pectoral injury. Fortunately, the Rams have designated outside linebacker Ogbonnia Okoronkwo to return from IR and it looks like he will see his first action of the season.
L.A. will once again have its work cut out going against another talented offense led by head coach Kliff Kingsbury and quarterback Kyler Murray. This group is tied with the Bucs for the league lead in scoring (34.3) and second only to the Las Vegas Raiders in yards per game (432.3).
Wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is expected to be in the mix despite dealing with a rib injury. However, their biggest concern comes at the line of scrimmage with three offensive linemen in Kelvin Beachum, Justin Pugh and Justin Murray listed as questionable.
Keys To Victory
1. Feed Ground Game
The Rams offense will be at full strength with Henderson back in action and the timing could not be better given the talent on offense for both teams. While Stafford and Murray could be primed for a shootout at SoFi Stadium, McVay will once again look to establish a healthy balance by getting the run game going early on.
Michel could not find much traction on the ground against a stingy Bucs’ run defense that gave up only 67 yards on 20 carries. However, he and Henderson should have a much easier time finding room to run against a Cardinals defense that is currently giving up the fourth-most rushing yards per game (140.7) this season.
Since their passing attack has shown it does not need heavy volume to be successful, a heavy run game will allow them to control the clock and keep Arizona’s offense off the field.
2. Bend But Don’t Break
The defense for L.A. may have given up 446 yards of total offense to Tampa Bay in Week 3, but they managed to alleviate this by allowing them to go just 6-of-13 on third downs. This not only helped quell any kind of rhythm Brady was hoping to establish, but it also set the tone for the offense and special teams.
Arizona is well-equipped to put up big numbers, especially through the air. While the matchup between Ramsey and Hopkins will be something to keep an eye on, the onus will fall on defensive coordinator Raheem Morris to ensure that they continue to make key stops on third downs and in the red zone.
This could prove to be easier said than done given Murray’s ability to escape the pocket and extend plays.
