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7 things to watch: Rams vs. Cardinals
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_2eceb4a0-b5a1-572f-82bd-82c874d83a6f.html
STRUGGLES ON THE ROAD
This marks the third game in a row that the Rams face either a rookie or a backup QB. Drew Stanton hasn’t been nearly as effective on the road as at home this season. He has completed 57% of his passes for 874 yards, six TDs, and two INTs at University of Phoenix Stadium. His home passer rating is 97.7 and he’s averaging 8.74 yards per attempt. The Cardinals are 4-0 in games he’s appeared in at home (including three starts). It’s a different story on the road, where he has completed 52.5% of his passes for 728 yards, one TD, and three INTs. His road passer rating is 63.5 and he’s averaging 6.07 yards per attempt. The Cardinals are 1-3 in games he has started on the road. Stanton is a tough guy, and has good mobility. He came off the bench to lead Arizona to a fourth-quarter comeback victory over the visiting Rams 32 days ago. But the Rams’ defense has progressed to the point where they shouldn’t let a guy like Stanton beat them.
EYE-OPENING DEBUT
With Andre Ellington out for the year with a hernia, unheralded RB Kerwynn Williams had an eye-opening rushing debut last week against Kansas City. Promoted from the practice squad last week, Williams rushed for 100 yards on 19 carries vs. KC, recording the first 100-yard rushing day of the season for the Big Red. Williams, a first-year player out of Utah State, reminds Jeff Fisher a little bit of Maurice Jones-Drew in terms of running style and stature.
REST OF THE BACKFIELD
Those were Williams’ first NFL carries, and the Cardinals have next to no experience behind him, either. Stepfan Taylor, Marion Grice and Robert Hughes have 87 NFL carries for 263 yards among them. With 46 catches, Ellington was Arizona’s second-most productive pass-catcher this season, but the Big Red threw only twice to backs vs. the Chiefs. Young backs often have problems with blitz pickup as well, so that could be an area the Rams can exploit.
STILL THE MAN
Larry Fitzgerald has more career receptions (131) and TDs (16) against the Rams than any other opponent — he’s played them 21 times. In the first matchup in Arizona, the eight-time Pro Bowler had nine catches for 112 yards against the Rams. But he has been slowed by a knee injury lately, missing the Nov. 23 Seattle game and Nov. 30 Atlanta contest. He was at far less than 100 percent last week vs. KC, catching four passes for just 34 yards.
REVIVED PASS RUSH
After getting just eight sacks in their first eight games, the Cardinals have been getting to the opposing QBs with regularity. Try 23 sacks over the past five contests, a league high over that span. Yes, that’s more than even the resurgent Rams’ pass rush, which has 21 sacks in its past five games. The Big Red hot streak started with six sacks in the first meeting vs. the Rams. OLB Alex Okafor has five sacks in his past five games; DE Frostee Rucker had a career-high two sacks last week vs. KC.
RETURN TO SENDER
After Tavon Austin’s banner day on punt returns against Washington, the Rams now have the league’s fourth-ranked punt returner (Austin, with an 11.1-yard average) and fifth-ranked kickoff returner (Benny Cunningham, with a 28.5-yard average). Arizona is in the bottom half of the league rankings in both punt coverage (24th) and kickoff coverage (27th). So there could be some opportunities in the return game tonight in the Edward Jones Dome.
WINNING THE 4TH
Arizona has been outscored in every quarter this season except the fourth. But the fourth belongs to them. In a league where nearly half the games are decided by a touchdown or less, the Cardinals know how to finish. They have outscored the opposition 99-40 in the final 15 minutes, a ratio of 2½ points to 1. They padded that total in their Nov. 9 home triumph over St. Louis, outscoring the Rams 21-0 in the fourth quarter to erase a 14-10 deficit.
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_2eceb4a0-b5a1-572f-82bd-82c874d83a6f.html
STRUGGLES ON THE ROAD
This marks the third game in a row that the Rams face either a rookie or a backup QB. Drew Stanton hasn’t been nearly as effective on the road as at home this season. He has completed 57% of his passes for 874 yards, six TDs, and two INTs at University of Phoenix Stadium. His home passer rating is 97.7 and he’s averaging 8.74 yards per attempt. The Cardinals are 4-0 in games he’s appeared in at home (including three starts). It’s a different story on the road, where he has completed 52.5% of his passes for 728 yards, one TD, and three INTs. His road passer rating is 63.5 and he’s averaging 6.07 yards per attempt. The Cardinals are 1-3 in games he has started on the road. Stanton is a tough guy, and has good mobility. He came off the bench to lead Arizona to a fourth-quarter comeback victory over the visiting Rams 32 days ago. But the Rams’ defense has progressed to the point where they shouldn’t let a guy like Stanton beat them.
EYE-OPENING DEBUT
With Andre Ellington out for the year with a hernia, unheralded RB Kerwynn Williams had an eye-opening rushing debut last week against Kansas City. Promoted from the practice squad last week, Williams rushed for 100 yards on 19 carries vs. KC, recording the first 100-yard rushing day of the season for the Big Red. Williams, a first-year player out of Utah State, reminds Jeff Fisher a little bit of Maurice Jones-Drew in terms of running style and stature.
REST OF THE BACKFIELD
Those were Williams’ first NFL carries, and the Cardinals have next to no experience behind him, either. Stepfan Taylor, Marion Grice and Robert Hughes have 87 NFL carries for 263 yards among them. With 46 catches, Ellington was Arizona’s second-most productive pass-catcher this season, but the Big Red threw only twice to backs vs. the Chiefs. Young backs often have problems with blitz pickup as well, so that could be an area the Rams can exploit.
STILL THE MAN
Larry Fitzgerald has more career receptions (131) and TDs (16) against the Rams than any other opponent — he’s played them 21 times. In the first matchup in Arizona, the eight-time Pro Bowler had nine catches for 112 yards against the Rams. But he has been slowed by a knee injury lately, missing the Nov. 23 Seattle game and Nov. 30 Atlanta contest. He was at far less than 100 percent last week vs. KC, catching four passes for just 34 yards.
REVIVED PASS RUSH
After getting just eight sacks in their first eight games, the Cardinals have been getting to the opposing QBs with regularity. Try 23 sacks over the past five contests, a league high over that span. Yes, that’s more than even the resurgent Rams’ pass rush, which has 21 sacks in its past five games. The Big Red hot streak started with six sacks in the first meeting vs. the Rams. OLB Alex Okafor has five sacks in his past five games; DE Frostee Rucker had a career-high two sacks last week vs. KC.
RETURN TO SENDER
After Tavon Austin’s banner day on punt returns against Washington, the Rams now have the league’s fourth-ranked punt returner (Austin, with an 11.1-yard average) and fifth-ranked kickoff returner (Benny Cunningham, with a 28.5-yard average). Arizona is in the bottom half of the league rankings in both punt coverage (24th) and kickoff coverage (27th). So there could be some opportunities in the return game tonight in the Edward Jones Dome.
WINNING THE 4TH
Arizona has been outscored in every quarter this season except the fourth. But the fourth belongs to them. In a league where nearly half the games are decided by a touchdown or less, the Cardinals know how to finish. They have outscored the opposition 99-40 in the final 15 minutes, a ratio of 2½ points to 1. They padded that total in their Nov. 9 home triumph over St. Louis, outscoring the Rams 21-0 in the fourth quarter to erase a 14-10 deficit.
