The Arizona Cardinals may have been officially eliminated from the playoff contention, but the Los Angeles Rams have not been and need a victory this Saturday at home to stay on top of the NFC West standings.
In their last matchup, the Rams were blown out by the Cardinals in Week 2. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford finished the game with a 28.1 quarterback rating, his lowest QBR of the season.
Their early-season loss to the Cardinals leaves no room for the Rams to overlook the Cardinals on Saturday.
"They're really well-coached," Stafford said. "[Cardinals S] Budda [Baker] is having a hell of a year. He’s playing outstanding, flying around on the field, making tackles for losses, getting in the way in the pass game, and doing all the stuff that when he lets loose, he can do. It’s a big challenge for us. We have to go out there and play fast, physically, pin our ears back, and go.”
Stafford undoubtedly recalls the game, as it was one of his and the Rams' worst performances of the season. However, Stafford noted that both teams have changed things logistically and personnel wise since Week 2.
"Yeah, it's so far removed from that last game," Stafford said. "Schematic-wise, I think everybody has changed probably a little bit here or there, but it’s still a really fast and physical defense [that] flies around. They give you a bunch of different things to look at, a bunch of different personnel packages and coverages. They do a really nice job. "
“There was just a ton to improve on, all phases. We didn't play well enough in any phase. [The] offense had some good success early running the football, got to a couple second in shorts, and then ended up in third mediums and didn't convert. A couple poor plays on third down by me. I think we keep those drives alive, the day looks a little bit different. So we have to play complimentary football like you do in all games, especially this late in the season. They’re a really talented team. They're explosive on offense and can make big plays on defense as well.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/rams/ as Rams Must Prepare for a Cardinals Team with Nothing to Lose.