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Rams vs. Cardinals: 7 for Sunday
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_4e8c8a0e-a161-5c22-886d-da16231d59a2.html
Over the course of his stellar career, Larry Fitzgerald has scored 16 TDs against the Rams — more than any active player has against a single opponent in the NFL. With just 8 yards Sunday, the revived Fitzgerald will post his seventh 1,000-yard receiving season — but his first since 2011. With eight receptions, he’ll reach 1,000 for his career at age 32. Fitzgerald specializes more in short and intermediate routes these days, lining up in the slot, but Carson Palmer looks his way a lot. It figures to be a busy day for Rams nickel back Lamarcus Joyner.
THE OTHER GUYS
One out of every three Palmer completions goes to Fitzgerald, but John Brown (45 catches, 704 yards) and Michael Floyd (28 for 446) are dangerous deep threats. Brown is one of the league’s faster players; Floyd has excellent size (6 feet 2, 220 pounds), but is questionable for Sunday because of a hamstring injury. Slowed earlier in the season by a shoulder injury, rookie J.J. Nelson has come on strong lately. He had a 64-yard TD catch vs. Cincinnati two weeks ago, and is averaging more then 29 yards per catch on his nine grabs.
PALMER’S YEAR
Palmer’s streak of consecutive 300-yard passing games was snapped at three last weekend in San Francisco. And he had a slow start a week earlier vs. Cincinnati, throwing two early interceptions. Even so, he’s enjoying the kind of season that should put him in the league MVP discussion, ranking second only to Tom Brady in passer rating (105.9) and TD passes (27). With three TD passes against the Rams, Palmer ties Kurt Warner’s Big Red single-season record of 30 TD passes — set in 2008.
A NEW JOHNSON
The shelves are nearly bare at running back for the Big Red. Veteran Chris Johnson ran well against the Rams two months ago and ranks fourth in the NFL with 814 yards rushing, but suffered a broken leg last weekend. Third-down back Andre Ellington also is out, because of a turf toe injury. So that means rookie David Johnson makes his first NFL start. He’s a big back (6 feet 1, 224 pounds) who’s already made his presence felt with a team-high eight TDs, and excels at catching passes out of the backfield.
TDs come IN BUNCHES
The Cardinals aren’t very fancy when it comes to pass defense; they play a lot of man coverage and dare you to beat talented DBs Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu. Mathieu is posting the flashier numbers, with 70 tackles and four interceptions, but some observers think Peterson actually is playing better — it’s just that teams aren’t throwing his way much. The Rams have thrown only eight TD passes all season, but three came on Oct. 4, at Arizona, on plays in which Nick Foles threw to receivers lined up in bunch formations.
PROBLEMS UP FRONT?
Injuries up front could tax Arizona’s fifth-ranked defense. Frostee Rucker already has been ruled out and fellow defensive tackle Cory Redding is listed at doubtful. Each has an ankle injury. In addition, the play of Pro Bowl DT Calais Campbell has tailed off recently. Does that mean the Rams’ suddenly-struggling running game can get going again? We’ll see. The expected return of right tackle Rob Havenstein should help a Rams offensive line that has been overmatched lately.
HERE’S THE KICKER
The Rams hoped Greg Zuerlein’s right hip will feel good enough by week’s end to get some practice kicks in on Friday. That didn’t happen. Zuerlein is doubtful, meaning Zach Hocker is in line to handle the kicking chores for the second week in a row. Hocker didn’t get much work last week against Cincy — just one extra point and two kickoffs (both of which went for touchbacks). Six of the last eight matchups in St. Louis have been decided by eight points or fewer, so a field goal here or there could make the difference.
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• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_4e8c8a0e-a161-5c22-886d-da16231d59a2.html
Over the course of his stellar career, Larry Fitzgerald has scored 16 TDs against the Rams — more than any active player has against a single opponent in the NFL. With just 8 yards Sunday, the revived Fitzgerald will post his seventh 1,000-yard receiving season — but his first since 2011. With eight receptions, he’ll reach 1,000 for his career at age 32. Fitzgerald specializes more in short and intermediate routes these days, lining up in the slot, but Carson Palmer looks his way a lot. It figures to be a busy day for Rams nickel back Lamarcus Joyner.
THE OTHER GUYS
One out of every three Palmer completions goes to Fitzgerald, but John Brown (45 catches, 704 yards) and Michael Floyd (28 for 446) are dangerous deep threats. Brown is one of the league’s faster players; Floyd has excellent size (6 feet 2, 220 pounds), but is questionable for Sunday because of a hamstring injury. Slowed earlier in the season by a shoulder injury, rookie J.J. Nelson has come on strong lately. He had a 64-yard TD catch vs. Cincinnati two weeks ago, and is averaging more then 29 yards per catch on his nine grabs.
PALMER’S YEAR
Palmer’s streak of consecutive 300-yard passing games was snapped at three last weekend in San Francisco. And he had a slow start a week earlier vs. Cincinnati, throwing two early interceptions. Even so, he’s enjoying the kind of season that should put him in the league MVP discussion, ranking second only to Tom Brady in passer rating (105.9) and TD passes (27). With three TD passes against the Rams, Palmer ties Kurt Warner’s Big Red single-season record of 30 TD passes — set in 2008.
A NEW JOHNSON
The shelves are nearly bare at running back for the Big Red. Veteran Chris Johnson ran well against the Rams two months ago and ranks fourth in the NFL with 814 yards rushing, but suffered a broken leg last weekend. Third-down back Andre Ellington also is out, because of a turf toe injury. So that means rookie David Johnson makes his first NFL start. He’s a big back (6 feet 1, 224 pounds) who’s already made his presence felt with a team-high eight TDs, and excels at catching passes out of the backfield.
TDs come IN BUNCHES
The Cardinals aren’t very fancy when it comes to pass defense; they play a lot of man coverage and dare you to beat talented DBs Patrick Peterson and Tyrann Mathieu. Mathieu is posting the flashier numbers, with 70 tackles and four interceptions, but some observers think Peterson actually is playing better — it’s just that teams aren’t throwing his way much. The Rams have thrown only eight TD passes all season, but three came on Oct. 4, at Arizona, on plays in which Nick Foles threw to receivers lined up in bunch formations.
PROBLEMS UP FRONT?
Injuries up front could tax Arizona’s fifth-ranked defense. Frostee Rucker already has been ruled out and fellow defensive tackle Cory Redding is listed at doubtful. Each has an ankle injury. In addition, the play of Pro Bowl DT Calais Campbell has tailed off recently. Does that mean the Rams’ suddenly-struggling running game can get going again? We’ll see. The expected return of right tackle Rob Havenstein should help a Rams offensive line that has been overmatched lately.
HERE’S THE KICKER
The Rams hoped Greg Zuerlein’s right hip will feel good enough by week’s end to get some practice kicks in on Friday. That didn’t happen. Zuerlein is doubtful, meaning Zach Hocker is in line to handle the kicking chores for the second week in a row. Hocker didn’t get much work last week against Cincy — just one extra point and two kickoffs (both of which went for touchbacks). Six of the last eight matchups in St. Louis have been decided by eight points or fewer, so a field goal here or there could make the difference.
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