The Arizona Cardinals had lost three of their last four games and were hosting one of the teams they battle for the top spot in their division on Sunday. One would have expected them to play with intensity and determination. It was quite the contrary.
Kliff Kingsbury’s formation was flat for their clash with the Los Angeles Rams, who easily won, 38-28. And if the Rams hadn’t made two turnovers that indirectly led to the Cards touchdowns in the second half, the game would have been out of reach for the latter much earlier.
It’s a little strange what’s going on in Arizona. When the Cards clinched their spectacular 37-34 overtime win over the Seattle Seahawks on Oct. 25, they looked close to making it into the nation’s top squad.
Instead, they lost four of their next five games, with their only victory coming against the Buffalo Bills thanks to the unlikely touchdown from DeAndre Hopkins in the dying seconds. The Cards’ four losses have been against good teams (Dolphins, Seahawks, Patriots and Rams), ie. But in each of those losses, it felt like Kyler Murray and the Cardinals were running out of solutions.
After throwing a 59-yard touchdown pass to tight end Dan Arnold in the second minute of the game, Murray was never able to find any semblance of pace for the remainder of the second half. The Cards’ four offensive series that followed the touchdown lasted only three games each.
PHOTO ROSS D. FRANKLIN, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kliff Kingsbury, Arizona Cardinals head coach
In a duel between the top picks in the 2016 (Jared Goff) and 2019 (Murray) draft totals, the Rams quarterback had the advantage hands down. Goff was content to take what the Cards defense gave him, and it was enough to finish the game with 351 yards (37 in 47).
Above all, unlike the past few weeks, Goff has avoided turnovers. He hasn’t committed any after scoring ten in his previous four games. Conversely, Murray escaped and lost the ball once, and threw an interception that ended his team’s hopes in the fourth quarter. He also threw three touchdown passes, but overall the young quarterback did not have a very good game.
A week after gaining 170 passing yards and 31 rushing yards against the Patriots in Foxboro, Murray finished Sunday’s game with 173 aerial yards and just 15 rushing. Kingsbury and the Cards will have to find ways to make better use of it, including taking more advantage of Murray’s mobility behind the protective pocket.
Opposed to cornerback Jalen Ramsey, Hopkins caught 8 passes, but for just 52 yards. In the end, Ramsey won this one-on-one battle, which allowed the Rams to focus on stopping other receivers.
What is perhaps even more concerning than this fourth loss in five games for the Cardinals is how little enthusiasm they seem to display. Their body language on the pitch and on the sidelines inspires no confidence. Kingsbury remains a young coach and Murray a young quarterback. And right now, it feels like this team is not sure what to do to get out of this bad patch.
In front of the Seahawks
Without being talked about too much, the Rams find themselves with a fine 8-4 record before attacking the last quarter of the season. Because they defeated them in their first encounter, the Rams even beat the Seahawks in first position West of the National. The Seahawks were surprised by the New York Giants, 17-12, Sunday in Seattle.
The Rams don’t have as many ‘big’ names in their roster as they have in recent years, but they’re back to the level of execution they had when they hit the Super Bowl two years ago .
Goff has improved from last season and is surrounded by a very good group of receivers. Robert Woods and Cooper Kupp, who totaled 18 catches for 158 yards against the Cards, are the two main members of the unit, while Gerald Everett and Tyler Higbee are one of the league’s strongest tight end pairs.
What helps Goff considerably is the Rams’ ground play, which was no longer much of a threat with Todd Gurley and his knee injured. Darrell Henderson Jr. and rookie Cam Akers are doing a great job.
Add Aaron Donald, Ramsey and a defense that is generally strong, then coach Sean McVay, and you end up with a team that has now reclaimed its place among the Nationals big names with the Saints, Packers and Seahawks.
The end for Anthony Lynn?
After the Los Angeles Chargers’ grueling 45-0 loss at the hands of the Patriots on Sunday, Anthony Lynn told The Athletic he expected to be the team’s head coach again the next day (Monday ). By the time you read these lines, the situation may have changed.
That good old Bill Belichick and his Patriots dominated young Justin Herbert (26 for 53 for 209 yards and two interceptions) is no wonder. But a final mark of 45-0? It will be difficult to convince us that the Chargers still believe in their driver after such a thaw.
PHOTO DAVID J. PHILLIP, ARCHIVES ASSOCIATED PRESS
Bill Belichick, New England Patriots head coach
For their part, the Pats have kept their slim hopes of making the playoffs thanks to this fourth victory in their last five games. For the second week in a row, the Patriots won even though Cam Newton finished the game with less than 100 passing yards (69 against the Chargers).
In Los Angeles, it was the Patriots’ special teams who made their mark with two touchdowns, including one on a kick return from Gunner Olszewski, who also scored in attack.
It might be too little, too late for the Patriots (6-6 record), who have at least two more losses than each of the seven teams that would secure their playoff spots in the American if the season ended this morning.
Belichick is all the same in the process of showing for the umpteenth time that he is capable of extracting the maximum amount from teams which are sometimes not particularly talented. Casually, his club have only one victory less than Tom Brady and the collection of star players in Tampa Bay.
