Arizona Cardinals at St. Louis Rams: NFL Week 13 Picks
By Erik Lambert
Oct 4, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley (30) runs for a first down as Arizona Cardinals defensive end Calais Campbell (93) pursues during the second half at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports
Division matchups are never dull to watch, and this once has plenty of drama to it. The St. Louis Rams aren’t out of the playoff picture yet thanks to their terrific division record while the Arizona Cardinals still hold out hope for home field advantage. Lots to play for. So who gets the win?
Backdrop:
Arizona has to know it’s not out of the woods yet in the NFC West. With the Seahawks surging at 6-5, they are facing a team in the Rams that is undefeated in the division despite their ongoing struggles. Bruce Arians knows his team can’t afford another loss to them with a playoff spot and at least one home game within reach. Rest assured Jeff Fisher will do everything in his power to prevent it, along with the growing cries for his job as another season spirals out of control.
Matchup To Watch:
RB Todd Gurley vs. LBs Kevin Minter and Deone Bucannon
The last time the Cardinals defense saw Todd Gurley, he ripped through them for 146 yards on 7.7 per carry. It was an ugly day for what is usually a pretty good Arizona run defense. Two of the primary culprits for the struggles were inside linebackers Kevin Minter and Deone Bucannon. Though reliable in other aspects, their run defense hasn’t always been up to snuff. It’s not a question of whether the Rams will feed Gurley. It will be whether those two can convince them not to.
Key Stat:
Carson Palmer is the primary reason the Cardinals are relevant in the home field advantage picture for the playoffs. Behind him their passing offense is 4th in the NFL and 1st in scoring. That will be tested again by a good Rams defense. Anchored by a dynamic front four led by Robert Quinn and Aaron Donald, they’re 8th in the league against the pass and only give up 20 points per game.
They were able to limit the Cardinals in key situations in the first meeting. It’s something they need to do again in order to win.
Prediction: Rams win 23-21
That’s right, it’s a call for the season sweep. It seems like the Rams are having one of those crazy years where a team dominates the division but is terrible everywhere else. An urgent Jeff Fisher will have them motivated and ready while Arizona suffers through another one of their turnover-rich afternoons on offense.