The Los Angeles Rams will run out of the tunnel at the Coliseum one last time on Sunday for the season finale against the Cardinals. It’s a game that doesn’t carry any playoff implications with both teams already being eliminated from contention, but it should still be an entertaining matchup.
Here are the three biggest concerns for the Rams in this game, beginning with a dynamic pass rusher on the other side.
Chandler Jones’ hot streak
Jones is on fire right now. He has 10.5 sacks in his last seven games, including a four-sack performance on Sunday against the Seahawks – his second four-sack game of the season. A third game with four sacks would put him over Michael Strahan’s single-season record of 22.5, and the Rams will do what they can to prevent that from happening.
Jones will match up with Andrew Whitworth more often than not, which is good news for the Rams. Whitworth hasn’t been perfect, but he limited Jones to just 0.5 sacks in Week 13. Jones is a game-wrecker the way Aaron Donald is, so of course there are concerns about stopping him.
Having nothing to play for
For the first time in the Sean McVay era, the Rams will play a (mostly) meaningless game. No playoff implications, no impact on the standings, no Pro Bowl to campaign for. Heck, this game won’t even affect the Rams’ first-round pick in 2020 – because they don’t have one.
This will be a new kind of feeling for the top players, given the success they’ve had over the last two seasons. Will they come out flat and lacking energy? Will their tackling suffer? McVay is convinced he has the right players in the locker room to compete in a situation like this, but it’s hard to imagine the Rams coming out as intense and physical as they normally do.
Kenyan Drake’s emergence
In the last two weeks, Drake has 303 yards rushing and six touchdowns. He’s been on an absolute tear lately since becoming the No. 1 back in Arizona. He’s carried the Cardinals in their last two games and with Kyler Murray questionable, he should do the same on Sunday again.
The Rams need to key on slowing down Drake, otherwise, the Cardinals will pull off the upset like they did against the Seahawks. He’s a dynamic playmaker who’s performing at a very high level right now, so much so that David Johnson is no longer a factor.
