Arizona Cardinals vs Los Angles Rams: Stats, matchups and keys to Cardinals victory

A statistical look at the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams matchup as well as the keys to an Arizona Cardinals victory.

Team Stats:

PTS FOR: AZ (19.6--20th); LA (29.8--1st)

PASS: AZ (286.2--3rd); LA (243.8--10th)

RUSH: AZ (69.8--32nd); LA (116.0-13th)

PTS AGAINST: AZ (26.3-30th); LA (23.0--20th)

PFF Player Grades Comparisons:

QB: AZ Palmer (76.5); LA Goff (75.7)

RB: AZ Peterson (84.2); LA Gurley (74.8)

WR: AZ Fitzgerald (81.8); LA Watkins (74.5)

WR: AZ Jaron Brown (75.2); LA Woods (72.6)

WR: AZ John Brown (75.0); LA Kupp (79.3)

TE: AZ Gresham (43.6); LA Higbee (70.1)

TE: AZ Niklas (42.9); LA Everett (67.6)

LT: AZ Humphries (77.3); LA Whitworth (82.4)

LG: AZ Boone (39.7); LA Saffold (77.9)

C: AZ Shipley (50.6); LA Sullivan (75.5)

RG: AZ Watford (32.9): LA Brown (42.9)

RT: AZ Veldheer (40.4); LA Havenstein (70.9)

Defense

NT: AZ Peters (82.0); LA Smart (43.5)

DT: AZ Rucker (48.2); LA Donald (95.6)

DT: AZ Mauro (45.6); LA Brockers (85.9)

DE: AZ Jones (85.5); LA Quinn (62.4)

LB: AZ Dansby (46.2); LA Ogletree (33.0)

LB: AZ Bucannon (35.6); LA Barron (80.9)

LB: AZ Reddick (47.0); LA Barwin (45.0)

CB: AZ Peterson (82.0);LA T. Johnson (43.7)

CB: AZ Bethel (46.0); LA Webster (80.5)

S: AZ: Mathieu (42.5); LA Johnson (82.7)

S: AZ: Branch (88.1); LA Davis (77.5)

Special Teams:

K AZ Dawson (10/14 FG, 11/11 XPT); LA Zeurlein (17/18 FG, 18/18 XPT)

P AZ Lee (47.3 ave., 38.2 net); LA Hekker (46.9 ave., 44.7 net)

KR AZ Williams (20.3 ave.); LA Cooper (31.7 ave.)

PR AZ Williams (3.4 ave.); LA Cooper (5.7 ave.)

Cardinals' Advantage: QB, WR, OLB, CB, S

Rams' Advantage: T, G, C, TE, DT, ILB, K, P, KR, PR

What the Cardinals Need To Do:

On Offense:

1---Run Off-Tackle: Deuce Blocks on Brockers and Donald, Angle and Kick Out Blocks on Quinn and Barwin

2---Wall the Middle on Pass Plays, keep a RB in to take first penetration, A gap blitzes

3---Help on DE Quinn---chips, double teams

4---Win WR/CB matchups

5---Isolate RB in passing game on Ogletree

On Defense:

1---Swarm tackle on Gurley

2---Pressure Goff, collapse pocket, get him to throw off back foot---make blitzes count

3---DL get hands up in passing lanes to stifle short passing game---get 3rd down stops

4---Do a quicker job reading and blowing up screens---get a big game from Buc and Dansby

5---Abandon the zones---play tight man exclusively---Peterson (Watkins), Bethel/T.Williams (Woods); Mathieu (Kupp); Branch (Higbee); Dansby (Everett), Bethea deep help opposite Peterson and at times sneak up to jump Kupp or Higbee.

On STs:

1---Limit Pharoh Cooper's touches on returns with touchbacks and hang-time on punts

2---Pressure Hekker and Zeurlein, disturb their timing and rhythm

3---Put Bethel back as one of the gunners, pair him with Baker

4---Don't let STC John Fassel and the Rams' very good STs be the difference maker in this game

5---Get Scooby Wright going---play these teams with passion