The Rams walk into Week 6 with urgency after their Monday night loss to the Bills, and Sunday’s visit with the Cardinals gives them a chance to clean things up fast. A win would give Los Angeles its first division victory of the season, and it would also move the Rams past Seattle and into second place in the NFC West.
When you break this matchup down position by position, the Rams hold most of the cards.
Start at quarterback, where there’s no real debate. Matthew Stafford is the clear edge over Jacoby Brissett.
Stafford’s season has had some uneven moments, but the numbers still tilt his way: he ranks 11th in EPA per pass, while Brissett sits 17th. There’s another milestone in play, too.
If Stafford goes for 300 yards on Sunday, it would be his fifth straight 300-yard passing game, which would be a new career best and the second-longest streak in franchise history. Advantage: Rams
The backfield leans Los Angeles as well. Jeremiyah Love could eventually be the better player than Kyren Williams and Blake Corum, but he won’t be available Sunday, and the Cardinals haven’t built the kind of offensive setup that helps him succeed anyway.
Arizona will be working with Tyler Allgeier instead, and the Rams should own this matchup. Advantage: Rams
At receiver, the gap only grows wider. Even before Marvin Harrison Jr. was traded, the Rams were probably ahead here.
After the move, the difference is even more obvious. Michael Wilson is a useful piece, but Kendrick Bourne behind him doesn’t stack up to what Los Angeles is putting on the field with Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.
Advantage: Rams
The one spot where Arizona gets the nod is tight end. The Rams may have more depth with Tyler Higbee and Davis Allen, but Trey McBride changes the math.
He’s one of the best players in the league and the centerpiece of the Cardinals’ offense. Advantage: Cardinals
Up front, both teams are dealing with losses, but Los Angeles still has the better line. The Rams will be without starting left tackle Alaric Jackson because of suspension, while Arizona is missing its starting left tackle, Paris Johnson, on injured reserve and just lost starting left guard Isaiah Adams to injured reserve as well.
Even with Jackson out, the Rams come out ahead here. Advantage: Rams
The Rams also hold the edge on the defensive line. Arizona has promising young pieces like Walter Nolen, plus pass rushers Josh Sweat and Baron Browning, but the Cardinals are still only 27th in pressure rate.
Los Angeles, meanwhile, has one of the deepest and best overall defensive fronts in the NFL. Advantage: Rams
Linebacker is another area where the Rams get the benefit, even though they aren’t exactly loaded there themselves. Nate Landman forced his first fumble since Week 11 of last year, and Omar Speights has been solid versus the run.
That’s enough to put Los Angeles in front. Advantage: Rams
The secondary follows the same pattern. Arizona has talent with Max Melton and Budda Baker, but the group lacks depth.
Trent McDuffie popped up on Friday’s injury report, yet the Rams still have better cornerback play and more safety depth. Their safeties also help explain why they rank No. 1 in EPA allowed to tight ends this season.
Advantage: Rams
Special teams is the easy swing spot for Arizona. The Rams have been the worst special teams unit through five games in NFL history, so until they show something different, that advantage belongs to the Cardinals. Advantage: Cardinals
On the sideline, the coaching edge goes to Los Angeles too. Mike LaFleur has appeal as a future head coach, but he isn’t there yet.
Sean McVay remains one of the league’s top coaches, even with his own issues this season. The Rams also get the better coordinator combination, with Nate Scheelhaase over Nathaniel Hackett and Chris Shula over Nick Rallis, who may not last the season.
Advantage: Rams
In Other News...
Rams Face A Familiar Threat To Stafford And The Offense
The Rams next trip into the NFC West brings more than a divisional opponent. When they line up against the Cardinals, Sean McVay will be facing Mike LaFleur for the first time as a head coach on the other sideline, a familiar face from McVays own staff and part of a coaching tree that has shaped plenty of recent Rams football. The connection runs deeper than just one meeting, with McVay, LaFleur and Matt LaFleur all tied together through years of shared ideas and overlapping success, while Matthew Stafford has also had a front-row seat to how that family of coaches works.
For the Rams, the matchup is another reminder that the league keeps circling back to relationships as much as schemes. McVay has spoken highly of Mike LaFleurs impact, and Stafford has too, which makes this one feel a little different than a standard division game. Theres still the usual stake of a divisional test, but theres also the added layer of two coaches who know each other well and an offense trying to stay ahead of a defense that has seen plenty of the same concepts from the same coaching line. [Read more 🡒]
Rams Special Teams Problem Has Become Impossible To Ignore
The Rams have spent enough time trying to patch the issue that it is no longer possible to call it a one-week hiccup. Their special teams have been a problem all season, and the numbers have reflected it in ugly fashion, with the unit sitting last in several key categories. Los Angeles has already started to address it by moving on from kicker Harrison Mevis and bringing in cornerback Damarion Williams to help the coverage units, but the fixes so far have only underscored how deep the concern runs.
Bubba Ventrone now has a unit under the microscope, and the pressure is not just on the players trying to make tackles and flip field position. Les Snead has shown a willingness to keep adjusting the roster when something is not working, and special teams may be headed for more of that scrutiny if the Rams do not clean things up soon. For a team trying to stay sharp everywhere else, this phase of the game has become the one area it can least afford to keep ignoring. [Read more 🡒]
Rashod Bateman Trade Buzz Could Put Ravens In A Tough Spot
With the Rams sitting at 2-3, the search for offensive help is already starting to take on some urgency, and Baltimore wide receiver Rashod Bateman has surfaced as a name to watch. Bleacher Reports Gary Davenport pegged Los Angeles as a possible landing spot, pointing to the teams need for more receiver depth and Batemans track record as reasons the fit could make sense.
Bateman has shown enough this season to keep his name in the conversation, with one touchdown, 16 catches and 233 receiving yards in five games. For the Rams, any move of this sort would be about adding another reliable target and reshaping the passing game around the stretch run, while the possibility of a deal could leave Baltimore weighing whether it can afford to part with a receiver who still has plenty of value in the market. [Read more 🡒]