The Rams are trying to avoid a two-game losing streak, which would effectively end any playoff hopes they still have. Coming off an embarrassing 45-6 loss to the Ravens, Los Angeles will face Kyler Murray and the Cardinals on Sunday afternoon on the road.
This is a winnable game for the Rams, but their offense has been abysmal lately and Arizona is better than it’s 3-7-1 record indicates. Here are the three biggest concerns for the Rams in Week 13.
Kyler Murray’s mobility
Lamar Jackson gave the Rams fits last week and Murray is equally athletic and can turn broken plays into big ones for the Cardinals. That’s something Los Angeles has to be very wary of because Murray is playing extremely well right now and can beat a defense in several ways. The Cardinals don’t use nearly as much read-option as the Ravens do, but he’s always a threat to pull down the ball and run, and there will be several designed plays where Murray can use his legs.
If the Rams can’t find an answer for him like they couldn’t against Baltimore, the defense is going to be winded and struggle in a big way.
Protecting Jared Goff
The offensive line has improved since David Edwards took over at guard, but the unit has hardly been above-average this season. Sunday will give Bobby Evans a true test against one of the game’s elite pass rushers in Chandler Jones. He and Terrell Suggs will be a tough challenge for Evans and Andrew Whitworth.
Corey Peters is also a handful on the interior and will go up against Austin Blythe, who’s used to playing guard. Keeping Goff upright will be a big key to the game because he’s been atrocious under pressure this year.
Creating extra possessions
Despite having a rookie quarterback, Arizona does a great job protecting the football. The Cardinals have only turned it over eight times in 11 games, which is the second-fewest in the NFL. Murray has only thrown five interceptions and fumbled it twice, so he’s been one of the best quarterbacks in football when it comes to avoiding costly turnovers.
The way the Rams offense has played lately, they’ll need as many extra possessions as they can get. With Arizona taking such good care of the ball, that’s going to be difficult unless the pass rush really wreaks havoc.
