Official Game Day Thread - LAR @ ARI, December 13, 2021
Dec 7, 2021 5:01:20 GMT -7
In the Cards and thomas cat like this
Post by End Zone on Dec 7, 2021 5:01:20 GMT -7
Los Angeles Rams (8-4) @ Arizona Cardinals (10-2), December 13, 2021 (Monday Night Football)
Hello and welcome to the Forum’s 13th Arizona Cardinals Game Day Thread (GDT). The GDT is unlocked for Forum member engagement. Be safe out there fans! Go Cardinals. Beat the Rams at MNF tonight!
Today's Cardinals game is the 9th NFC Conference game, their 5th NFC West Division game, and 6th home game of the 2021 season. After today, the Cardinals have just 4 games remaining, two on the road—Detroit on December 9th and Dallas on January 2nd, and then two at home—Indianapolis on December 25th and Seattle on January 9th. The Cardinals (10-2) are a perfect 7-0 on the road, and a perfect 4-0 against NFC West teams this season. The two home losses against Green Bay and Carolina are the only blemishes on the regular season record. Those are the facts.
Rams History. In the 86-game head-to-head competition, the Rams won 45 games, the Cardinals won 39 games (last win October 3rd 2021), and the teams tied 2 times. The last couple years, the Rams looked forward to playing the Cardinals, averaging 30-plus points each game. For a quick reading on the Rams’ team history, see this web page: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Angeles_Rams . The team has a long and proud history beginning in 1936. It is well known that the franchise has changed owners and hometowns a few times in 85 years. The team included some of the most iconic football players of the modern era. Sixteen former Rams coaches and players are enshrined in the NFL Hall of Fame. Six jersey numbers are permanently retired. The Rams won Super Bowl XXXIV in 1999. Pre NFL-NFL merger, the Rams won the NFL Championship in 1945 and 1951. The Rams last made the playoffs in 2020, primarily because the Green Bay Packers beat the Chicago Bears in another NFC Conference Division-level contest for the last NFC Wild Card playoff berth.
Head Coaches. This 2021 season is HC Sean McVay's 5th season at the helm. HC McVay, 35 years old, had the Cardinals number prior to 2021. HC Kliff Kingsbury, 42 years old 3rd year at the helm, now has McVay right where the Cardinals HC wants him—behind the Cardinals in the NFC West Division standings. Kingsbury’s orientation to the NFL is now done. The Cardinals 10-2 record after 12 contests is proof enough that Kingsbury is an elite HC.
Below McVay, there were several major coaching changes. Raheem Morris is the new DC. Moving on was passing game coordinator Shane Waldron, running game coordinator Andy Dickerson, passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant, assistant HC Joe Barry, assistant coach Liam Coen, and run game coordinator/offensive line coach Aaron Kramer. In 2020, the Rams finished second in the NFC West Division, with a record of 10-6. Last year's strong LA Rams defense held 16 teams to just 296 points, the lowest total in the League. The LA Rams finished the 2020 playoffs with a 1-1 record, beating the Seahawks in Seattle but losing to the Packers in Green Bay. The Rams FO was very active in the offseason, sending the 2021 3rd round selection and 2022 and 2023 first round picks to DET for QB Stafford. The Rams previously acquired DE Michael Brocker in another trade with DET in 2020; LAR and DET like each other's rosters and picks. The 2020 season also was the Rams first season in the impressive $5B Sofi Stadium in Inglewood, CA, shared with the LA Chargers.
So, what is the latest scoop on the NFC West Division and NFC Bye? Listening to the large market sports talking heads this past week, a casual sports fan might still conclude that the Rams, 49ers, and Seahawks are battling for the NFC West Division crown and Wild Card berths. After all, are not those three seaside towns somehow annually entitled to the brightest lights, while the Arizona Cardinals are the League’s version of red-headed step kids, spending weekends surviving on colorless and buffoon-erizing TV broadcasters, and spending mid-weeks living in candle-lit stick-built huts out in the dry desert scrub brush? Hogwash! Matter-of-fact, the Cardinals are the League’s one premier team and the pacesetter. The Cardinals are within a Red Bird whisker of earning a playoff berth—the first to do so in the NFL this year, and maybe 2 victories from earning the NFC West Division crown. Of the 5 remaining games, 3 are against teams with winning records (Rams, Colts, and Cowboys). There is plenty Cardinals football left to be played against talented hard-fighting teams this season and then at the playoffs. For the Cardinals, it is all gas and no brakes (Drachir quote!) throughout the playoffs and a Super Bowl! 1-0 every week is the goal all the way to winning the Championship Trophy on February 13, 2022.
Rams Scat. The 8-4 Rams are as pesky as the 9-3 Packers, meaning there is little breathing space between the 10-2 Cardinals and the top NFC competition. The Cardinals remain effectively 3 games ahead of the Rams in the standings and no threat to Cardinals playoff chances. Notable also is that the Rams have not beaten a team with a winning record in 10 weeks. Some might say, “Huh?” True, the schedule was kind to the Rams this year. The Rams stumbled in November, dropping 3 games in a row before pouncing on the woeful 2-10 Jaguars, 37-7, on December 5th. That game was proof that the Rams still beat up high school kids. Statistically, the Rams overall are putting up good but not stellar numbers: points for 336, points against 270, home record 4-2, away record 4-2. The team is loaded with talent—no doubt about that. However, the Rams performance has been herky-jerky with some early big-named-team take downs (Colts, Buccaneers) and a several sleepwalking games of late (Titans, 49ers, Packers).
The Rams continue to have synchronization and player integration problems, mostly on the Offense and since Game 1, and especially against the NFL’s best teams. Last week versus the Jaguars, QB #9 Matt Stafford (33 years old, 6’3”, 220 pounds, University of Georgia, Round 1 Pick 1 Draft 2009, and traded from the Lions to the Rams in the 2021 off-season) got his act together (26 of 38 passes for 295 yards and 0 INTs) and did not turn over the ball versus the sophomore-level Jaguars Defense, but he did so repeatedly in the three prior games versus the NFL’s top-level Defenses. Stafford is not too mobile in the pocket, and when flushed, rushed for just 347 yards (5.7 yards per game) since the 2017 season.
During the November stretch (or stench), Stafford completed just 62% passes, averaged 278 yards per game, and earned 7 TDs. His biggest problem was the 6 INTs, with 3 returned for TDs! His pass-to-INT ration ballooned to 3.5/100 and his rating collapsed from 123.6 (October) to 80.3 (November). Other problems included lower accuracy, hurried passing, sacks, and dropped passes. Stafford has completely fallen out of the NFL MVP conversation. His 12-game stats: 3,611 yards passing, 30 TDs, 9 INTs, QBR 65.9, and rating 106.3. Stafford QBR 65.9 vs. Cardinals (Oct 3 game only), rating 89.5, completion % 63.4, yards passing 280, TDs 2. Longest pass vs. Cardinals was 35 yards.
WR#1 Kupp is Stafford’s go-to target. He has over 100 catches and 11 TDs for the season. WR#2 Jefferson demonstrated good hands and speed, pulling down 6 catches for 41 yards and 1 TD. TE Higbee contributed 5 catches for 48 yards. WR Beckham is still hardly more than a TV distraction since his late-season signing with the Rams. RB#1 Mitchel blew up the Jaguars Dline with 24 carries for 121 yards and 1 TD. That was his first 100-yard game of the season and glaring proof that when he is 100% healthy, he is the biggest threat to the Cardinals very average rush defense (Cardinals fans are still smarting after the Bears RB Montgomery’s gaudy track meet demo). On Defense, the Rams are mostly set. The Dline and LBs get the job done. The Rams defensive weakness is their CBs and Safeties, especially against an accurate and mobile QB. The Rams Defense does give up chunk pass plays.
The upstart Cardinals destroyed the high-flying and media heavily-promoted Rams at their house (SoFi Stadium) at their last meeting, 37-20, on October 3rd. See: . QB Murray was 24 for 32 for 268 yards and 2 TDs. He contributed 6 runs for 39 yards. RBs Edmonds (120 yards) and Conner) (50 yards) chopped up the Rams Dline. Receivers Green (67 yards), Hopkins (67 yards), and Williams (66 yards), gashed the backfield. Kicker Prater was 3/3 on FGs. QB Stafford was 26 for 41 for 280 yards, 2 TDs, and 1 INT. His bell cows were WR Jefferson, 6 catches for 90 yards, WR Kupp, 5 catches for 64 yards, and WR Woods (on IR now). RB standout was Henderson, 14 rushes for 89 yards. Key to the game for the Cardinals was forcing the Rams to play catch-up most of the day. The Cardinals led 24-13 at halftime and were never threatened by the Rams in the 2nd half. The Rams are not a come-from-behind team in 2021, proven by their record.
QB Stafford. Cardinals fans are familiar with dangerous desert reptiles and Stafford is a certified QB rattlesnake, working his good old southern boy charm into lethal passing magic with some of the worst Detroit Lion's teams known in NFL history, and then beating the Cardinals on last-minute QB/WR trickery. Despite the Lions mostly downtrodden history since signing the rookie University of Georgia QB in 2009, QB Stafford consistently elevated himself, earning the League's respect again and again. He shares or owns many, many passer records: 5,000 yards in a single season; 40,000 yards in 147 games; most comeback wins in a season--8 in 2016; and is always in the NFL's top 10 for QB attempts, completions, yards, TDs, etc. Alas, all bad storms must finally end. After the 2020 season, the Detroit Lions and LA Rams shocked the NFL world and swapped QBs. LAR sent QB Goff and draft compensation to DET in exchange for QB Stafford. To date, Goff’s career is sinking out of sight at Detroit (1-10-1) while Stafford’s career at Los Angeles (9-3) is leaky but still afloat.
Injury Reports. See FLCF’s post. Moderators will post player injury data provided by the Cardinals medical or coaching staff no more than 24 hours prior to the game. It is NFL policy that, “If any player has a significant or noteworthy injury, it must be listed on the practice report, even if he fully participates in practice and the team expects that he will play in the team’s next game. This is especially important for key players whose injuries may be covered extensively by the media.” Moreover, the policy also reads, “The information must be credible, accurate, timely, and specific within the guidelines of the policy, which is of paramount importance to maintaining the integrity of the game.” Teams found in violation of the policy face the risk of being fined or forfeiting Draft picks.
Roster Information. The Cardinals team roster information (updated weekly) can be reviewed at www.ourlads.com/nfldepthcharts/depthchart/ARZ . Roster Rules 2021 (COVID-19): (1) Expansion of practice squads to 16 players, including up to 6 who have more than 2 accrued seasons; (2) The ability to protect up to 4 practice squad players per week from being signed by other teams; (3) Elevation of up to 2 practice squad players to the active roster, without removing any current players, before 4 p.m. ET the day before a game; (4) Elevation of 1 additional practice squad player within 90 minutes before kickoff in the event of a late COVID-19 positive test result; (5) Players placed on injured reserve can return after 3 weeks, rather than 6 weeks as in normal seasons; (6) Removal of the limit for how many players can be activated from injured reserve.
Odds. Per the professionals, the Cardinals are 3.0-point favorites over the Rams. The O/U is 51.5. The Rams certainly looked better in Week #13 than they did during their previous 3-game losing streak, but it's important to note that the Rams were playing the 2-9 Jaguars at the time. The Rams are not likely to have as much success against the Cardinals at MNF on December 13th. Arizona has played well all season, except for the CAR game debacle while Murray was recovering from an ankle injury. Arizona has already knocked off the Rams once and on the road and in the Rams house, by a score of 37-20. Arizona is 9-1 above the spread (ATS) in games won, except at the MIN vs. ARI game won by a missed MIN FG as time expired. The Cardinals are the healthiest in a long while, with the core players all back to work now. The Rams are searching for team answers, living with out WR Woods, and sorting out issues with LB Miller and WR Beckham. QB Stafford reportedly is on pain medication for nagging back problems.
Referee Crew Information - see www.footballzebras.com/2021/06/officiating-crews-for-the-2021-season/ . Referee assigned to today's game is #51 Referee Carl Cheffers. Referee Cheffers, 61 years old, has officiated in the NFL since 2000. As with any official on the job for over 20 years, his record has some controversy. He worked several Super Bowls and playoff games, earning both praise and criticism from various booth reviews and officiating experts. However, if the NFL did not think Cheffers was knowledgeable and fair, he would have been fired long ago. Cheffers last worked a Cardinals game during the Cardinals @ Browns match on October 17, 2021. The Cardinals easily won, 37-14. Cheffers’ crew awarded 14 penalties, 5 on ARI for 45 yards, and 9 on CLE for 88 yards.
Other officiating information: For 2020, NFL games averaged 156.4 plays; there were 40,032 total plays; 99.1% of the plays were officiated on the field without Instant Replay Booth involvement; only 364 of the plays were reviewed; the most commonly reviewed plays were pass completion (82), incomplete pass (47), and runner broke the goal line plane (44).
Weather. For the December 13th game, Glendale's weather is about as good as it gets: expect 71F during daytime and 45F in the evening. This time of the year, cloudy days are increasing to about 1/3 of the month. This time of the year is the "High Season" for tourists and snowbirds living in sunny Arizona and avoiding winter conditions in the High North states. Rain occurs on average just 1-2 days in December. It is possible that the Cardinals to open the retractable roof for this game, if outdoor conditions are remain Fair as currently forecasted.
State Farm Stadium Information. See www.statefarmstadium.com/ for all necessary information to enjoy a great day. Additionally, see the Arizona Cardinals website at www.azcardinals.com/.
Game Broadcasts. Game will be carried by ESPN and 98.7 FM. Kickoff at SFS is 6:15 PM MST. The game is confirmed National TV broadcast.
Next week's game: ARZ (10-2) visits DET (1-10-1). Detroit beat the Vikings on a last-play TD pass last weekend to earn its first win in 364 days, or since December 3, 2020.
Odds and Ends -- Thru Game 12, December 5th:
ESPN Football Power Index – ESPN;s projected winner is Cardinals 59.3% chance, Rams 40.3% chance, tie .03% chance
Last 5 games: Cardinals 3-2 (beat SF, SEA, CHI), Rams 2-3 (beat HOU, JAX).
Cardinals Passing – QB Murray 197 of 271, 2309 Yards, 19 TD, 7 INT
Rams Passing – QB Stafford 292 of 438, 3611 Yards, 30 TD, 9 INT
Cardinals Rushing – RB Conner 166 for 630 Yards, 12 TDs
Rams Rushing – RB Henderson 142 for 648 Yards, 5 TDs
Cardinals Receiving – WR Kirk, 50 for 632 Yards, 4 TDs
Rams Receiving – WR Kupp, 100 for 1306 Yards, 11 TDs
Cardinals Offense – 28.6 points per game
Rams Offense – 28.0 points per game
Cardinals Defense – 18.7 points per game
Rams Defense – 22.5 points per game
Cardinals Total Yards – 386.8 per game, Passing 262.7, Rushing 124.2
Rams Total Yards – 399.4 per game, Passing 301.5, Rushing 97.9
* When Rams Andrew Whitworth starts on MNF, he will become the first 40-year old to start at LT in NFL history. That is an amazing accomplishment and a credit to Whitworth’s healthy lifestyle and good fortune.
* Cardinals LB Hicks needs 5 tackles to hit the 100 mark. He is having his best NFL year in 2021.
* Cardinals WR Isabella, 2019 2nd Round Pick, 5’9” 188 pounds, 25 yo, is 100% healthy but continues to be a game scratch almost every week. During WR Hopkins injury absence for several weeks in November, Isabella was on the field for just 2 snaps and not targeted a single time. In Fantasy Football, WR Isabella is ranked 203. WOW! Isabella is almost a roster dead man. Team can’t play or trade him, but must pay him.
Cardinals Football Trivia Q&A. Who was the first woman to become principal owner of an NFL team? Answer: Mrs. Violet Bidwill, widow of the late Charles Bidwill. She inherited the team in April 1947 after the death of Charles, who had purchased the team in 1933. How did the Bidwill sons, Charles Jr., and Bill, end up owning the Cardinals football team? When Violet died in January 1962, she was remarried to St. Louis businessman Walter Wolfner. However, Violet's will gave 80% of the team to the two sons, both adopted by her former husband, and just 20% to Walter. Walter, now managing director of the team, contested the will in an Illinois Court, and lost. In 1963, Walter asked the Court to invalidate the two sons adoption by the Bidwill's. The Court refused to invalidate the adoptions. The two sons then moved to eliminate the step-father's role with the team. The two sons ran the team for 10 years. Bill Bidwill then purchased Charles share of the team in 1972, becoming sole owner. First owner "Charley" Bidwill's aims in pro sports was for his football team to win the NFL Championship and his race horses to win the Kentucky Derby. He did not accomplish either aim while alive. The Cardinals did win its sole NFL Championship in 1947, just 8 months after Charley's death. How much did Charley Bidwill pay to buy the Cardinals? Answer: Charley paid $50,000 for rights to the Cardinals team in 1932. The down-payment was $2,000 of his own money. The rest of funds came from other sources -- in case of another NFL or Chicago team collapse -- to ensure Charley and wife Violet Bidwill did not go broke betting on a sports franchise investment. Which current or past Receiver has the most seasons, 50+ pass receptions? Larry Fitzgerald, 17, 2004-2020. Which current or past Field Goal Kicker has the longest field goal? Matt Prater, 64 yards, Dec 8, 2013. Which current or past Running Back has the most 250-yard rushing games in a career? Terry Metcalf, 7, 1974-1977. What was the longest overtime interception returned for a TD? 72 yards, by Lorenzo Lynch, ARZ Cardinals vs. SEA Seahawks, October 29, 1995. Which former or current NFL player owns the record for the most points scored in a single game? 40, by Ernie Nevers, on November 28, 1929, when the Chicago Cardinals beat the Chicago Bears, 40-6.
Rams Football Trivia Q&A. Repeat? Rams Football Trivia Q&A. Who is the youngest coach in the NFL? The youngest coach in the NFL is Sean McVay, who will turn 36 on January 24, 2022. He is 6 years younger than HC Kingsbury. The Rams won 3 NFL championships while representing which 3 different cities? Cleveland in 1945, Los Angeles in 1951, and Saint Louis in 1999. Who was the 1st Rams player to win the NFL's MVP award? Multi-role (QB, RB) player Linus Parker "Bullet" Hall won the MVP award in 1939, his rookie season. That year, The Bullet led the league in passing with 100 passes completed, was second in passing yardage, and fifth in rushing yards. Which Rams player is credited with inventing the term "Sack?" DE Deacon Jones, in the 1960s, coined the term after watching the demoralizing effect of a sack on an opposing team. He said that he got the idea from studying ancient history and that cities were "sacked" by overwhelming force. QB Kurt Warner led the Rams to their last Super Bowl victory on January 30, 2000. Where was that SB game played? Super Bowl XXXIV was played at the Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA.
PutMeIn Bottom Line. Cardinals 35, Rams 17. It is impossible for Cardinals players and fans to misunderstand what is on the line at MNF. The Cardinals win, they are in the playoffs for the first time since 2015. The Cardinals lose, and there goes out the window much the good will built up by the team, and fans and sports networks carrying a torch for the Cardinals for many weeks. The Cardinals players will be motivated by clear sight of a playoffs golden ring within their arm’s reach at MNF. I just do not see this Cardinals team letting a once-in-a-year opportunity pass by while playing in front of a friendly hometown crowd and on National TV at prime time.
A repeat of the October 3rd beatdown, Cardinals 37-20 win, is possible. But, a lot has to go right for the Cardinals on Offense and Defense for a blowout win #2. Since October, the Cardinals ran the “Gauntlet” and won all 4 games, saw their HC sidelined due to COVID mid-season, saw their starting QB sidelined for 5 weeks due to high ankle sprain, saw their WR#1 sidelined for a hamstring for 5 weeks, the TE wiped out by knee injury, and traded for Pro Bowler TE Ertz who immediately contributed on day one. The team showed its resilience, depth, teamwork, and winning credentials throughout the turmoil and tests. Since October, the Rams flipped and flopped, lost 3 games straight, lost players due to injury and COVID, quickly traded or signed new high-profile players that have yet to jell with the locker room, and otherwise struggled to compete against top-tier teams. Comparing head to head performance in 2021, 5’10” Murray stands head-and-shoulders above 6’3” Stafford. That fact, a stubborn thing for some Cardinals doubters to accept, will not change at this next game. The Cardinals will will.
All statistics and forecasts point to a Cardinals win over the Rams. Go Cardinals. Beat the Rams! 1-0 at MNF. 11-2 Tuesday morning. Go get that playoff berth.