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The Arizona Cardinals have rivalries with the NFC West and most of those rivalries are close.
Then the Los Angeles Rams signed Sean McVay and the rivalry became more than just one sided, it became near ownership like for the Rams.
Since Bruce Arians took a shot at the Rams in 2014, “I love it when nobody says you have a chance to win,” Arians said. “There is an 11-3 team and a team that is always 8-8. You figure it out,” the ownage has been real.
Arians went 2-4 after his comments and one of those wins was over interim Head Coah John Fassel.
In fact, since Sean McVay took the reigns for the Rams, the Arizona Cardinals are 1-11 including 0-1 in the playoffs.
Since McVay took over his records versus the Arizona Cardinals head coaches:
Bruce Arians: 0-2
Steve Wilks: 0-2
Kliff Kingsbury: 1-7
More than just the records is how dominant the Rams have been.
Bruce Arians: ppg - 8 ppg allowed - 32.5
Steve Wilks: ppg - 4.5 ppg allowed - 32.5
Kliff Kingsbury: ppg - 17.8 ppg allowed - 26
It is crazy to think that Kingsbury is the only coach who has actually put up any type of resistance against the McVay regime.
The one-sidedness also comes to the playoffs.
The Cardinals have one playoff appearance, ironically matching up against the Rams last year in a 34-11 loss.
The Rams since McVay took over: 2017 lost in Wild Card, 2018 lost Super Bowl, 2019 9-7 and missed the playoffs, 2020 lost in divisional round, 2021 Super Bowl Champions.
So, McVay has had the Rams in the playoffs in four of his five seasons.
The Cardinals have three head coaches in that timeframe and fans are clamoring for the fourth.
One thing that the Rams have done under McVay is forgo the draft consistently. In fact, under McVay the Rams have never used a first round draft pick on a draft picks. The other crazy thing, under McVay the Rams have one draft pick who has made a Pro Bowl, Cooper Kupp.
The Rams don’t draft stars, they draft guys who fit into the system and become cogs in the wheel.
Meanwhile, the Cardinals in the McVay era the Cardinals first round picks are Haason Reddick, Josh Rosen, Kyler Murray, Isaiah Simmons, and Zaven Collins. Only Murray has been to the Pro Bowl while only Budda Baker has made a Pro Bowl as a Cardinals draft pick as well.
So, six Pro Bowls and two All Pro seasons drafted in the time the Rams have not drafted anyone of that ilk outside of Kupp.
The Cardinals went the route of the Rams this year, trading their first round pick for Marquise Brown and Brown was likely on the road to a Pro Bowl at worst before he was injured against the Cardinals other rivals, the Seattle Seahawks.
The rivalry has been bad since Sean McVay showed up, but it started out when Jeff Fisher was still there and Bruce Arians decided to take a potshot.
Arians ran away and the Rams have run over the Cardinals the last eight seasons since his infamous quote.
Sometimes you don’t need to wake a sleeping giant, or in this case a tamed Ram.
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