Rams get elusive signature win over Cardinals

Rob Schumacher-Arizona Republic

Arizona had a few opportunities to take this one, but some coaching miscues and uncharacteristic mistakes ultimately doomed them – including an extremely rare drop by DeAndre Hopkins in the red zone at a critical moment. On the bright side, the Cardinals have at least one very enthusiastic fan and arguably the most talented young team in football.

Kyler Murray (444 total yards, two interceptions) ran hot and cold against the Rams defense, but when he was on we were reminded that nobody at the position throws on the run better.

Kyler Murray… HOW?!
pic.twitter.com/Q3FO9dhrXO

— PFF (@PFF) December 14, 2021

In our opinion, the unfortunate decision not to spike the ball at the end is more on Kliff Kingsbury than Murray.

Meanwhile, James Conner (two touchdowns), A.J. Green (102 yards) and Zach Ertz (five catches) all chipped in with eye-catching plays of their own.

Defensively, the Cardinals didn’t perform poorly. Despite getting to him for three sacks, they just couldn’t keep up with the combination of Matt Stafford being on his A+ game and a pair of elite wide receivers.

The biggest concern for the Cardinals has to be how poorly their offensive line protected Murray against an admittedly-mean Rams pass rush. Murray was sacked four times but practically every other QB on the planet would have gone for eight.

Next up, the Cards catch a break by visiting the Lions.