Los Angeles Rams (3-1) – Arizona Cardinals (4-0) : 20-37
In this duel of undefeated teams from NFC West, the suspense lasted only 20 minutes. In almost every area of play, the Cardinals outrageously dominated a lost Los Angeles team, especially defensively. The Cardinals end at 465 offensive yards, including 216 on the ground.
Kyler Murray (24/32, 268 yards, 39 yards on the ground, 2 TD) was resplendent, both on the ground and in the air, playing with the defenders of Los Angeles, well helped by a Chase Edmonds (139 yards) electrifying and a James Conner (66 yards, 2 TD) who did the ground work. Kliff Kingsbury and his men hold the benchmark victory that will make them Super Bowl candidates, as the progress is remarkable compared to last year.
Kyler threads the needle ???? #RedSea
????: #AZvsLAR on FOX
????: NFL app pic.twitter.com/tWj3ZLoFmq— NFL (@NFL) October 3, 2021
For the Rams, it’s a blow to the back of the head, and Sean McVay’s men will have to wake up quickly. Simple warning or structural weakness? We will have to respond quickly, because Matthew Stafford (26/41, 280 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT) can not do everything alone.
Cardinals strike first
The clash between Rams and Cardinals kept all its promises from the first minutes of play. The two attacks run in the first two drives, and the Rams opened the scoring on a field goal (3-0).
That’s when the Cardinals’ defense pulled off a decisive first game with an interception from the inevitable Byron Murphy, his third of the season. Kyler Murray took the opportunity and found AJ Green (67 yards, 1 TD) for the first touchdown of the evening (3-7).
The Rams are stung and react immediately, with a decisive Darrell Henderson (116 yards) on the ground and a touchdown from Van Jefferson (104 yards, 2 TD) (10-7). Los Angeles is back in charge, but not for long.
Because the Arizona attack is more flamboyant than ever, and will hurt the defense of the rams crumbly as rarely. Murray is untenable, and finds Maxx Williams for a touchdown after a big drive from DeAndre Hopkins (67 yards). The attack will have a new chance, after a fumble recovered by Budda Baker, and will score by James Conner after a mad run by Murray on 3rd and 16 (10-21). In just two minutes, the Cardinals overturn the game.
The Rams are trying to react, including Cooper Kupp (64 yards), but the Cardinals are confident and limit the Los Angeles attack to a field goal. The attack starts again immediately, under the impetus of a Rondale Moore (37 yards) irresistible, and also scores a field goal (13-24). Arizona is in control after 30 minutes.
Arizona is above
The start of the second half is an opportunity for the Cardinals to make a bigger gap, and a 55-yard field goal can increase the lead to 14 points (13-27). Back to the wall, Los Angeles will scuttle itself. While Stafford and Henderson carry the attack, the lack of efficiency in the opposing camp leads to a field goal … missed. More than ever, the Cardinals can kill the game.
And they will do it. Kyler Murray leans on his targets, including the returning AJ Green, and James Conner ends up on the ground. Checkmate, the Cards attack is too strong for the Rams’ defense (13-34). The rest looks like a long ordeal for the Rams. Stopped 1 yard from the end zone, the defense cracks and gives air to the Cardinals who advance on a 54-yard run from Chase Edmonds. Impotence is total and Arizona adds 3 points for form (13-37).
For honor, the Rams mark a touchdown by Robert Woods (34 yards), but that does not hide the complicated performance of the Rams tonight (20-37).
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