The NFC West leader will take on the division's last-place team in Week 10 when the Arizona Cardinals play host to the St. Louis Rams. Don't let the "last place" tag fool you, though; the Rams have been competitive in nearly every game they've played this season. In three of its five losses, St. Louis was within one score of tying or taking the lead in the fourth quarter.
Rams vs. Cardinals preview: 3 things to watch
Rams-Cardinals could come down to the arm of Austin Davis, the Rams’ surprisingly effective former-practice squad quarterback.
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The Rams also have wins over the second- and third-place teams in the division. Their victory over the 49ers came at San Francisco last week. St. Louis has won two of its past three coming into this week, including a Week 8 win over the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
The Cardinals, who lead the entire NFL at 7-1, are two full games ahead of the Seahawks in the West. Their lone loss of the year came at Denver, in a game in which Arizona was within one score in the fourth quarter while playing backup rookie quarterback Logan Thomas.
The Cards are undefeated in games in which Carson Palmer starts at quarterback. He is 15-6 as Arizona's starter since joining the team in 2013.
The NFC West continues to make a strong case for being the NFL’s best division. The four teams have combined to win 19 games this year, the second-most of any division in football.
Here are three things to watch:
1. Rams secondary vs. Cardinals receivers
The strongest unit of the Cardinals may just be their receiving corps. Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd and John Brown have combined for 82 catches for 1,228 yards and eight scores, making them one of the best trios in the NFL. The veteran Fitzgerald has been playing especially great of late, hauling in 22 passes for 349 yards and two scores over the past four games.
They'll go against a depleted Rams secondary. Cornerbacks E.J. Gaines, Marcus Roberson, Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson have all missed time due to injury over the past few weeks. Johnson and Gaines are now healthy, but Jenkins and Roberson are listed as "questionable" on the final injury report.
The Cardinals receivers are poised to have a big day against St. Louis’ secondary.
2. Austin Davis
If the Cardinals have a good day passing against a depleted Rams secondary as expected, it will force the Rams to rely more on quarterback Austin Davis to guide their offense.
Davis was signed off the practice squad after injuries knocked out Sam Bradford and Shaun Hill. He has been surprisingly efficient, completing 64.2 percent of his passes for 1,785 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven picks in eight games.
He has also gone 3-4 in his starts, which says a lot, given the Rams’ brutal schedule. Their past six games have been against teams with a combined 30-19 record.
The key may not be if Davis can produce against the Cardinals, but how well he holds up against Cards defensive coordinator Todd Bowles’ blitz-heavy schemes, as ESPN notes.
It’s no secret that the Arizona Cardinals’ blitz has been a disruption for opposing quarterbacks. They’re completing 59.7 percent of their passes when the Cardinals bring five or more rushers, compared to 65.1 when Arizona doesn’t blitz, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
Davis knows what it’s like to be rattled by a blitz. He’s completing 59.4 percent of his passes facing it and 66.7 percent against a normal rush. Sunday at University of Phoenix Stadium won’t get much easier for the first-year starter.
3. Tre Mason
The Rams would prefer to not have to put the offensive load on the shoulders of Davis, and that's where Tre Mason comes in. The rookie running back has had 49 carries for 222 yards over his last four games. St. Louis was unable to find a consistent RB between Zac Stacy and Benny Cunningham, but Mason has emerged over the past month to help revive the Rams' run game.
Mason is in for a tough task, though, when he goes up against a Cards team that ranks third in the NFL in run defense. Arizona thrives at stopping the run and forcing offenses to beat them with their quarterbacks, allowing the Cardinals to unleash their pass rushers.
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