Obviously things are moving quicker then usual with it being the last week of the season and the playoffs being around the corner. To go with the flow, we'll breakdown this past Sunday's win over the St. Louis Rams one more time. The Cardinals defense played another great game and never gave the Rams a chance to make things interesting. They only allowed 10 points, held the Rams to 298 total yards, and forced 4 turnovers.
Defensive Line: The defensive line played as good as you'd expect against the Rams offense. They recorded four sacks on the day and increased their season total to 41, the first time a Cardinals defense has gained over 40 sacks since being in Arizona. They kept the pressure on rookie quarterback Keith Null and maintained their gap positioning. Calais Campbell added another sack, making his season total 7, and proving his worth as a second round pick a year ago. Darnell Dockett's play may not always show up on the stat sheet, but he did when he was named to the pro bowl on Tuesday.
Linebackers: The Cardinals linebackers struggled against a back-up running back for the second week in a row. Chris Ogbonnaya, and Ken Darby rushed for a combined 85 yards for the day. It doesn't sound like much but when the Rams best player, Steven Jackson, is out of the game, it makes you wonder how productive he would've been had he played. The Cardinals linebackers all have suffered from injuries lately and Bill Davis may want to consider toning it down or resting them on Sunday.Defensive Backs: The secondary produced their third straight game, in which they limited each receiver and recorded an interception. Rookie corner Greg Toler registered his first career interception early in the game, but would later leave with an elbow injury. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie picked off his sixth pass of the year and leads the team. Adrian Wilson added another interception to his total, but also recorded his 20th career sack.
My Defensive Grade: A
Overall, the defense played lights out and delivered another win for the team. They were able to consistently pressure the quarterback and create four turnovers. They've improved their play in the latter part of the season, which is good news in light of the playoffs being around the corner. What grade did you give the defense and why?