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THE OTHER GUY
For the past three seasons, or since Anquan Boldin left for greener pastures, if you stopped Larry Fitzgerald you pretty much stopped Arizona’s passing game. That’s not necessarily the case these days because of the emergence of second-year WR Michael Floyd, who leads the Big Red with 860 reception yards. Floyd’s 20 catches in the past four games all have gone for first downs. “Carson (Palmer)’s very comfortable now just putting the ball up to (Floyd),” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He knows he can jump and elevate.”
SUPPORTING CAST
But it’s not just Fitzgerald and Floyd. The Cardinals are spreading the ball around under new coach Bruce Arians. TE Rob Housler has 31 catches despite an early-season ankle injury that cost him two games. RB Andre Ellington, who’s expected to return after missing last week’s game in Philly (knee), has 28 receptions. No. 3 WR Andre Roberts, who’s had some good moments against the Rams in the past, has had his playing time cut as the Cards go to more two- and three-TE sets, but still has 35 grabs.
How ABOUT PALMER?
On the one hand, Arians said he expects QB Carson Palmer to play. On the other, he says it will be a game-day decision. Palmer is listed as questionable because of an injury to his right (throwing) elbow and was limited in practice all week. In making a sack/fumble, Philly pass-rusher Trent Cole caught Palmer’s arm at a point in his delivery at which it put a lot of pressure on the elbow. Palmer finished the game, but threw two INTs on deep balls. Drew Stanton, who hasn’t played since 2010, would be next up.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Two weeks ago, Rashard Mendenhall was averaging less than 2.9 yards per carry for the season, but he’s shown signs of life lately with 130 yards and a 4.2 average over the past two games. Mendenhall, a University of Illinois product who had two 1,000-yard seasons as a Steeler, is Mr. Outside. Andre Ellington, who is averaging 6.0 yards per carry and has an 80-yard TD run on his rookie résumé, is Mr. Outside. The Rams have faced better backs lately, but the Cardinals’ duo won’t be pushovers.
MEET MR. QUINN
On opening day, Rams DE Robert Quinn had three sacks working against former first-round pick Levi Brown. In the rematch against the Big Red he gets LT Bradley Sowell, who entered the NFL in 2012 as an undrafted free agent out of Ole Miss. He was claimed off waivers by the Big Red this year, and ended up starting at left tackle when Brown was traded in early October. “I never thought I’d be a starter here,” Sowell told Arizona reporters. Sowell gave up two sacks to Trent Cole last week against the Eagles.
PRESSURE
Rams blockers will face an Arizona front seven that is much more aggressive than the group they faced in early September. The Cardinals are doing more blitzing, mixing fronts and have several players who can get to the passer. Headed by veteran John Abraham’s eight sacks, the Big Red have four players with 4½ sacks-plus. And inside LB Darryl Washington, normally one of the better interior blitzers in the NFL, isn’t among that group. Undoubtedly, they will try to wreck C Tim Barnes’ first NFL start.
THE SERIES
Greg “The Leg” Zuerlein’s 48-yard field with 40 seconds remaining gave St. Louis a 27-24 victory over Arizona in the season opener Sept. 8 at the Edward Jones Dome. The Rams rallied from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter, a game in which Jared Cook set a Rams’ single-game tight end record with 141 receiving yards. The Rams are seeking their fourth-straight victory over Big Red owner Bill Bidwill’s squad, which would be a high for them in the series since the move to St. Louis in 1995.
THE OTHER GUY
For the past three seasons, or since Anquan Boldin left for greener pastures, if you stopped Larry Fitzgerald you pretty much stopped Arizona’s passing game. That’s not necessarily the case these days because of the emergence of second-year WR Michael Floyd, who leads the Big Red with 860 reception yards. Floyd’s 20 catches in the past four games all have gone for first downs. “Carson (Palmer)’s very comfortable now just putting the ball up to (Floyd),” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He knows he can jump and elevate.”
SUPPORTING CAST
But it’s not just Fitzgerald and Floyd. The Cardinals are spreading the ball around under new coach Bruce Arians. TE Rob Housler has 31 catches despite an early-season ankle injury that cost him two games. RB Andre Ellington, who’s expected to return after missing last week’s game in Philly (knee), has 28 receptions. No. 3 WR Andre Roberts, who’s had some good moments against the Rams in the past, has had his playing time cut as the Cards go to more two- and three-TE sets, but still has 35 grabs.
How ABOUT PALMER?
On the one hand, Arians said he expects QB Carson Palmer to play. On the other, he says it will be a game-day decision. Palmer is listed as questionable because of an injury to his right (throwing) elbow and was limited in practice all week. In making a sack/fumble, Philly pass-rusher Trent Cole caught Palmer’s arm at a point in his delivery at which it put a lot of pressure on the elbow. Palmer finished the game, but threw two INTs on deep balls. Drew Stanton, who hasn’t played since 2010, would be next up.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
Two weeks ago, Rashard Mendenhall was averaging less than 2.9 yards per carry for the season, but he’s shown signs of life lately with 130 yards and a 4.2 average over the past two games. Mendenhall, a University of Illinois product who had two 1,000-yard seasons as a Steeler, is Mr. Outside. Andre Ellington, who is averaging 6.0 yards per carry and has an 80-yard TD run on his rookie résumé, is Mr. Outside. The Rams have faced better backs lately, but the Cardinals’ duo won’t be pushovers.
MEET MR. QUINN
On opening day, Rams DE Robert Quinn had three sacks working against former first-round pick Levi Brown. In the rematch against the Big Red he gets LT Bradley Sowell, who entered the NFL in 2012 as an undrafted free agent out of Ole Miss. He was claimed off waivers by the Big Red this year, and ended up starting at left tackle when Brown was traded in early October. “I never thought I’d be a starter here,” Sowell told Arizona reporters. Sowell gave up two sacks to Trent Cole last week against the Eagles.
PRESSURE
Rams blockers will face an Arizona front seven that is much more aggressive than the group they faced in early September. The Cardinals are doing more blitzing, mixing fronts and have several players who can get to the passer. Headed by veteran John Abraham’s eight sacks, the Big Red have four players with 4½ sacks-plus. And inside LB Darryl Washington, normally one of the better interior blitzers in the NFL, isn’t among that group. Undoubtedly, they will try to wreck C Tim Barnes’ first NFL start.
THE SERIES
Greg “The Leg” Zuerlein’s 48-yard field with 40 seconds remaining gave St. Louis a 27-24 victory over Arizona in the season opener Sept. 8 at the Edward Jones Dome. The Rams rallied from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter, a game in which Jared Cook set a Rams’ single-game tight end record with 141 receiving yards. The Rams are seeking their fourth-straight victory over Big Red owner Bill Bidwill’s squad, which would be a high for them in the series since the move to St. Louis in 1995.