Los Angeles Rams vs. Arizona Cardinals Preview: Will Offense's Firepower Be Enough?
The Arizona Cardinals may not be particularly good, but they are relentlessly feisty. In a division where rivalry upsets can disrupt playoff aspirations, there’s a good chance this one stays close throughout.
The Los Angeles Rams will play host to the Cardinals on Sunday, looking to get back to .500 through complementary football. However, most would agree Los Angeles has a decided talent advantage, especially offensively. That may be the story of Week 6.
Even in Josh Dobbs’ surprisingly solid start to the season, the Cardinals have only mustered a single win (Week 3 vs. the Dallas Cowboys). They’ve made their opponents battle, though, giving the New York Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and Washington Commanders tougher matches than many anticipated.
Nacua celebrates a touchdown with receiver Tutu Atwell.
Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Led by Dobbs and without running back James Conner, Arizona will have to further rely on a coaching staff that has put them in more favorable positions than the roster’s talent would suggest. They rank in the top half of the league in expected points added per play and success rate on offense.
No longer are the Cardinals the odds-on favorite to win the Caleb Williams sweepstakes, and they’ve shown they are more than capable of beating an opponent that overlooks them.
Los Angeles should look to win the day by ensuring their offensive talent shines. Quarterback Matthew Stafford is throwing heaters all over the place, and Week 5 was the first glimpse of what an offense headlined by receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua can look like. Spoiler alert: it’s a lot of fun.
In Arizona’s only win, they limited star receiver CeeDee Lamb to four catches and 53 yards. The rise of Nacua means Arizona head coach Jonathan Gannon cannot allocate disproportionate resources to stopping a single star receiver.
Yes, it’s important to maintain some semblance of balance through the ground game, but forcing the Cardinals to be one-dimensional can wrap this one up in a hurry. Expect Stafford to let Kupp and Nacua dominate the team’s target share as they attempt to leave their rival in the dust before things can get messy.
WHAT: Los Angeles Rams (2-3) vs. Arizona Cardinals (1-4)
WHERE: SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, CA (70,240)
WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, 1:25 p.m. (PT)
TELEVISION: FOX
RADIO: ESPNLA 710 AM, Tu Liga Radio 1330 AM
ODDS: Rams -6.5 (-118), -333 Moneyline, Total: 48.5 (o -110/u -110)
