The St. Louis Rams were hoping beating their NFC West rival would be an easier feat, but a win is a win regardless. In a game that went back and forth all day long, a 48-yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein with 40 seconds left in the 4th quarter sealed the win for the Rams, who are tied for first along with rivals Seattle and San Francisco.
Quarterback Sam Bradford had a strong showing against the mediocre Cardinals secondary, going 27/38 throwing 299 yards, with two TD’s and only one INT. His favorite target was tight end Jared Cook, who had a potential touchdown fumbled away at the one yard line by Cardinals safety Tyrann Mathieu, but redeemed himself the rest of the game, notching seven receptions for 141 yards and two touchdowns.
Not to be outdone, veteran Quarterback Carson Palmer, in his regular season debut for Arizona, went 26 for 40 for 327 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, while Larry Fitzgerald had eight receptions for 80 and two touchdowns. The Cardinals relied heavily on the pass yesterday, as the Rams stout front seven stuffed the running lanes for the Cardinals’ backs.
On defense, the Rams defensive line battered Palmer all day. Defensive lineman Robert Quinn had three sacks, and is on pace for an astounding 48 sacks (which would naturally shatter the record held by retired lineman Michael Strahan). Quinn, Michael Brockers, and Chris Long pushed the Cardinals offensive lineman around all day long, while linebackers James Laurinaitis and Will Witherspoon held Cardinals’ back Rashard Mendenhall to a mere 60 yards on 13 carries.
The secondary, however, struggled all game, allowing key catches to be made in Rams territory by Fitzgerald and Michael Floyd, including a one-handed diving catch in the second quarter that went right over the Rams’ defensive backs’ heads. When Palmer had the blocking time, he made good use of it, putting the Cardinals ahead 24-13 at one point during the contest, going into the fourth quarter.
In the end, though, it was Sam Bradford doing what he does best, working the 2:00 minute drill to perfection, capitalizing on key downs (especially on third and fourth) with passes to Cook and Tavon Austin along with running back Daryl Richardson sprinting through the line, setting up Greg “the leg” Zuerlein for the potential game winning field goal, which he converted.
Richardson was the only back to see significant work in the backfield, as rookie Zac Stacy had one carry for four yards. No other Rams back got a carry other than Richardson and Stacy. Richardson took advantage of an improved Rams offensive line, bursting right through the holes in the defense for big gains. The offense looked sharp, and the defense, while inconsistent in the secondary, played well enough up front that the Cardinals were held in check when it mattered most.
St. Louis needed this win, considering the 49ers and Seahawks both also won, and with a critical game next week against the Atlanta Falcons, the Rams have little breathing room. Every game matters, and in the tough NFC West division, that phrase doesn’t ring any more truer (Photo credit/Bleacherreport.com).
