Rams vs. Cardinals Game Preview

 

St. Louis Rams quarterback Sam Bradford will most likely miss his third straight game due to a high ankle sprain that he suffered in a 24-3 loss to the Green Bay Packers. The Arizona Cardinals will most likely be without quarterback Kevin Kolb who has a turf toe injury. So Sunday's game could feature A.J. Feeley vs. John Skelton in a battle of 1-6 teams. The Arizona Cardinals have won eight of their last nine games against the St. Louis Rams. The Rams next four opponents (Arizona, Cleveland, Seattle) have a combined 7-21 record. Could the Rams battle back to a 5-6 record?

Rams fans should never underestimate a backup QB, as we know some have greatness inside. John Skelton 6-6 245 out of Fordham did start four games in 2010 and led the Cardinals to victories over Denver and Dallas. Overall Skelton was 60 of 126 for 662 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions with a 62.3 QB rating.

The Arizona Cardinals could also be without their starting running back Beanie Wells. If Wells can not go lets hope the Rams do not make a star of Alfonso Smith who has 26 carries for 90 yards this season. The Rams were able to hold the Saints to 56 yards on the ground last week.

The Rams were able to score 31 points last week but don't look past the fact that they still only put up 323 total yards. The Rams were able to take full advantage of a blocked punt, a pick 6 and nice play in the Red Zone to put up those points. A.J. Feeley was a solid 20 of 37 for 175 yards and a touchdown.

The Rams finally have a nice matchup against Arizona. The Cardinals are 25th in rushing offense and the Rams started to tackle much better last week. The Rams need to put pressure on Skelton and when they get to him they need to bring him down.

The Rams have had the same formula over the past few years to win games and they will deploy it again today. To win the Rams must feed the ball to Steven Jackson 20+ times, control the ball and win the turnover battle. The Rams are still not explosive however their is a vast improvement with Brandon Lloyd on the field. Lloyd already has 12 receptions for 127 yards and a TD, and he has been open all over the field.

The Cardinals have lost six straight and the Rams looked good last week. I like the fact that the Rams won 19-6 in Arizona last year. I think this may be a pretty ugly game with each team trying to just control the ball and play mistake free. Steven Jackson looked to be at 100 percent last week and he will be the key today. The Rams will feed him the rock and win a close one out in the desert.

Prediction St. Louis Rams 20 - Arizona Cardinals 17

By Stlvinnie - http://www.stlouisramfan.com


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