Los Angeles Rams vs Arizona Cardinals: Five players revisited

The Los Angeles Rams took care of business on Sunday and still hold a one game lead over the Seattle Seahawks. They did in on the shoulders of Todd Gurley and a Rams defense that smelled blood. Let us take a look back at the players to watch that were ID’d late last week.

QB Blaine Gabbert

Gabbert was overwhelmed from the get-go. Throughout the game, he looked like the busted draft pick that he is and wasn’t able to get much going for the Cardinals offense. He finished the day with an abysmal 13.1 QBR.

RB Adrian Peterson

I had Peterson listed in my original article because even at less than 100%, he can still be a menace to opposing defenses. He ended up sitting out the contest.

WR Larry Fitzgerald

Fitzgerald did the same thing he’s been doing since 2004. He accumulated 98 yards on 10 catches (on 10 targets) and was a thorn in the Rams side for most of the afternoon. He caught more than half of Gabbert’s 18 completions.

CB Patrick Peterson

It’s a glass half-full / half-empty situation for Peterson. On one hand, Sammy Watkins was only targeted 4 times - so the Rams were clearly avoiding him. On the other hand, 3 of those passes were completed and Watkins got in the end zone as well. For a player in Peterson’s class, this has to be considered a ‘bad’ game.

DB Tyrann Mathieu

I was worried about Mathieu creating a game-changing turnover in my original article. While he did have five tackles and a tackle for a loss, he didn’t have any flashy plays.

Bonus: Chandler Jones

Jones wasn’t originally listed, but in hindsight he should have been in place of Peterson. He had a strip sack and three QB hits - which is extremely impressive against Andrew Whitworth.

Call me a homer, but I’m chalking this up as a moral victory. This would have been much worse with Greg Robinson at LT.

Todd Gurley

Gurley continued to be the centerpiece for the Rams offense. He had 74 yards on the ground and an additional 84 via six receptions while pacing Rams receivers with 7 targets. His absolute dominance this season is pushing him into the offensive player of the year conversation.

Josh Reynolds

Color me disappointed. Reynolds was a major letdown with a paltry 6 yards on two receptions. He was targeted six times, but wasn’t able to get much going. Others are looking to fill the void left by injured WR Robert Woods so Reynolds better step up in a hurry.

Aaron Donald

Donald continued to do Donald things. He was his typical wrecking ball - even if he fell short of stuffing the stat sheet. Donald’s holdout hasn’t effected his play, but it has changed how he’s perceived in the media and with fans in regards to Pro Bowl voting.

Donald deserves to go to the Pro Bowl. GET OUT AND VOTE!

Robert Quinn

I asked Quinn to turn back the clock and he acquiesced. He wasn’t a dominant force, but he should have been credited with a second sack. It would have been his first multiple sack game since Week 1 of the 2015 season.

Lamarcus Joyner

Joyner is going to get PAID after the 2017 season. He has developed into an elite safety and had three passes defensed on Sunday. I’m not sure how the Rams pay him AND Donald AND Trumaine Johnson AND Sammy Watkins.... I just ask that it goes better than ‘Priority A’ did a few years ago.