The Los Angeles Rams suffered a 27-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 10. The Rams have fallen to 3-6 on the season with the loss to the Cardinals as this defeat could effectively be the final nail in the team’s coffin this season.
Buy Rams TicketsThe Rams were without Matthew Stafford at quarterback while the Cardinals didn’t have Kyler Murray operating their offense. Despite both teams playing with backup quarterbacks, Arizona appeared to be more prepared in Sunday’s contest.
Following another disappointing loss to put them in last place in the NFC West, here are six immediate takeaways for the Rams in their showdown with the Cardinals.
1
The offense did not look any better without Matthew Stafford
It might come as a shock to some people, but the Rams’ offense didn’t look any better with Stafford sidelined. John Wolford started Sunday’s matchup with the Cardinals and he mightily struggled in his second career start.
Wolford would finish the game by completing 24 of his 36 attempts for 212 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. The backup quarterback for the Rams had 62 yards and a touchdown on the final drive of the game, so his numbers look a little better than they really were.
In the end, Los Angeles totaled only 256 yards on offense and the Rams converted only three of their 11 third downs. Time is running out for the offense to find solutions for the problems they’ve had this season.
2
The running game continues to be an issue
The Rams keep deploying multiple running backs in hopes one of them provides a spark, but the ground game is nonexistent. The backfield of the Rams accrued a total of 66 rushing yards and a touchdown on 20 attempts.
Cam Akers led the team with 22 rushing yards on six attempts while Darrell Henderson scored the lone rushing touchdown. Kyren Williams returned to the offense, but he didn’t see the field until the final drive, where he would record 39 total yards on four touches. With the running game lacking any sort of production, Williams could see an expanded role sooner rather than later.
3
Injuries still plague the Rams
Can the NFL turn injuries off? The Rams have endured a plethora of injuries this season, making it the most difficult year in Sean McVay’s tenure as head coach.
During Sunday’s brutal loss, Cooper Kupp went down with an apparent ankle injury after Wolford sailed a pass over Kupp’s outstretched hand. The All-Pro wideout has 75 receptions, 812 yards, and six touchdowns this season, so losing him would be detrimental to an offense that is already trending downward.
4
J.J. Watt was living in the Rams' backfield
Entering Sunday’s matchup, it was known that the Rams would need to contain J.J. Watt if they wanted to have success on offense. The three-time Defensive Player led the Cardinals with 4.5 sacks coming into this week and he added to that total versus the Rams.
Watt finished with two tackles, one tackle for loss, one sack, one fumble recovery, and four quarterback hits. Rob Havenstein was tasked with blocking Watt for the majority of the game, but the entire offensive line was unable to prevent the veteran pass rusher from wreaking havoc.
5
Bobby Wagner continues to be a bright spot for the defense
There aren’t many positives that come out of a game like this, but Bobby Wagner continues to play at a high level in the middle of the defense. The All-Pro inside linebacker was flying all over the field on Sunday as he recorded nine tackles (tied for the second-most for the Rams).
Besides the nine tackles, Wagner tallied another sack, giving him three sacks this season. Wagner’s career-best mark in sacks is five, which came in 2013 in his second year with the Seattle Seahawks. In a game where the Rams lost by 10 points, Wagner had one of the better performances of anyone in horns on Sunday.
6
Rams had no answer for DeAndre Hopkins and Rondale Moore
Everyone was looking forward to seeing Jalen Ramsey matched up with DeAndre Hopkins yet again as the two have faced each other plenty of times throughout their careers. However, it was Hopkins and Rondale Moore who would have the upper hand against the Rams.
Even with Colt McCoy orchestrating the offense for the Cardinals, Hopkins and Moore combined for 19 receptions for 192 yards on 27 targets versus the Rams. Ramsey was lined up across Hopkins for a decent portion of the game as Raheem Morris allowed the All-Pro cornerback to play man coverage on the talented wideout more often than usual. Outside of Hopkins and Moore, the Cardinals only had 46 receiving yards.
