The LA Rams Back in the Mix, Win Against the Cardinals 30-23

The LA Rams defeated the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football, 30-23, posting a massive win over the division rivals. Matt Stafford and the boys kept their chances for winning the NFC West, puling to just one win away from the Cardinals, who are leading the way.

In a tight contest that saw the guests from LA constantly leading, the difference-maker in their favor was the excellent defense. Aaron Donald alone had three sacks, and the three-time NFL DPOY stopped Kyler Murray on the last play of the game, with the Cards’ QB choosing to lay down on the ground instead of taking a big hit.

“We ain’t arrived. We still got to do things to get us in a great position that we want to be in,” said Donald.

Also, the Rams picked Murray twice, and both of those interceptions would later lead to touchdowns. Murray couldn’t find his rhythm, and even though he threw for 383 yards, the former Rookie of the Year couldn’t post a TD. He ran for 61 yards on seven carries, but without noticeable productivity.

The only two touchdowns for the Cards came on the ground, with James Conner carrying the football into the end zone. The RB had 31 rushing yards in 13 snaps. AJ Green had seven receptions for 102 yards, Conner caught 94, and Christian Kirk added 86. DeAndre Hopkins finished the game with 56 receiving yards.

“This was a big-time football game against a great team. They got the best of us tonight, but I know the guys in the locker room. We’ll be back for sure,” said Murray.

On the other side, his counterpart, Stafford, had one hell of a game, orchestrating the Rams’ offense almost perfectly. He threw for 287 yards, failing to complete only seven of his 30 passing attempts and connecting three times with his teammates in the end zone.

Van Jefferson, Odell Beckham Jr., and Cooper Kupp, all had one receiving TD. Kupp ended the game with 123 yards, OBJ 77, and Jefferson 58.

As for the defense, Ernest Jones had one pick and a 31-yard return, while Leonard Floyd added one more for 11 yards. As mentioned before, these were critical plays of the contest.

Monday’s win is a huge boost for the Rams, who were in deep trouble. One of the biggest contenders for the title recorded three losses in a row, before bouncing back with this win and against the Jaguars.

Aaron Donald's 6th career game with 3+ sacks.

He now has his 5th straight season with at least 10 sacks. 💪 pic.twitter.com/Eh61Wx4dI1

— NFL (@NFL) December 14, 2021

The Rams have nine wins and four losses. It puts them behind the Cardinals, Packers, and the Bucs in the NFC Conference, and even though they have a loss against the Packs, Sean McVay’s unit is still in the mix for taking the No.1 seed.

Up next, the Rams host the division rivals, the Seattle Seahawks, next week, and after that have two road games, in Minnesota and Baltimore. Their regular part of the season ends in LA vs. 49ers.

On the other side, the Cards posted all of its three losses at home. And to make it even worse, all of them were one after another. The first was against the Packers, then the Panthers and now the Rams.

Their next event is in Detroit against the Lions. After that, Arizona hosts the Indianapolis Colts, travels to Dallas to meet the Cowboys, and finishes the regular season against the Seahawks at SoFi Stadium.