Rams defense leads the way in beating Arizona – Orange County Register

No one in Arizona wanted to tell this story.

The Rams showed us, as if we needed to be shown, that playoff games don’t have to be close games. Usually not. Of the NFL’s six wild-card weekend games, this is the fourth with an unsuccessful fourth round, with the Rams winning, 34-11, and in addition to some entertaining soccer feats high of the home team, does not seem to get many points. Non-essential employees have been sent home. Let the battles begin.

This could be the Rams’ final playoff at SoFi Stadium of the season, or it could be the second or third. They can re-call the NFC Championship Game if it wins at Tampa Bay on Sunday and if San Francisco wins at Green Bay on Saturday. Both are possible. Then, of course, there’s the final reckoning at SoFi on February 13.

Just like the weekend winners Buffalo and Kansas City and Tampa Bay, the Rams have a chance to take this to the limit if they continue to play so all-round.

They didn’t always run, but they did here, with Sony Michel bursting 35 yards into the Rams’ first play, and with Michel and Cam Akers taking it from there.

They didn’t always stop the run, but the Rams kept Arizona for a total of 40 yards in the first half and didn’t allow the Cardinals to cross the 50-yard line.

Coach Sean McVay said: “We came out looking great.

Feeling cheeky after holding the Cardinals to four three-three games in a row and scoring in a David Long 3-yard intercept, the Rams have revealed good things like Odell Beckham’s 40-yard utility pass. for Akers, and Matthew Stafford excelled in midfield. and even beyond Kyler Murray, 22 yards to 6.

“Odell can do it,” McVay said. “He did it with the Giants. He can do a lot of things.”

Eric Weddle, retired for two years, is off to a safe start and may need a post-game workout to boost his metabolism. Arizona didn’t get its first score until 6:45 in the second quarter, when the Rams had 21.

Murray was stopped by the Rams’ defence, and things moved so quickly that Arizona coach Kliff Kingsbury forgot about the Rams’ deadly game here in Week 4.

“We were dominant,” said defensive midfielder Aaron Donald. “We were able to make the back four uncomfortable. A couple of times he tried to run and we were able to push him down, and once he just slid down, and he made some bad throws because we pressured him. . We’ve got everyone doing plays all over the field. ”

In Arizona’s 37-20 win weeks ago, Chase Edmonds had 120 yards on 12 executions. This time, the Cardinals tried 18 runs and achieved 60 yards. Murray had six 39-yard runs in October. That happened this season but last year. It could also happen before Arizona becomes a state.

The mismatches abound. With receiver DeAndre Hopkins injured, the Cardinals have few wins against the Rams’ second team. Beckham had all sorts of fun in front of rookie full-back Mario Wilson.

When fouled, McVay used a number of two finishing touches early on and essentially disappeared an offensive line that was criticized for losing Andrew Whitworth’s life to an ankle problem in Michel’s opening game. . The Cardinals were consumed by Donald and friends, and they were only taken down after Donald issued a call for unsportsmanlike conduct for crimes against DJ Humphries.

Victory was pretty much certified in the second quarter when Ben Skowronek knocked out Johnny Hekker on Arizona’s 1-yard line. From there, AJ Green could not keep Murray’s pass on the sideline and in the next game, Troy Reeder rushed in a opportune moment and threatened to fire Murray to be safe. Murray panicked and tried to get away from the ball, and Long hit the ball and scored.