The Arizona Cardinals play their home opener against the Los Angeles Rams Sunday afternoon at State Farm Stadium. They are favored in the game because of the Rams’ number of key injuries.
But the Cardinals have not beaten the Rams at home in a decade and only have two wins over them since 2017 when Sean McVay became head coach.
If they are going to finally get a win and avoid starting the season 0-2, these are the keys to victory.
Arizona Cardinals Week 2 keys to victory over L.A. Rams
Don’t let Kyren Williams dominate
Williams destroyed the Cardinals in 2023 in both meetings with the Rams. he rushed for 301 yards and piled up 362 total yards and three touchdowns in two games.
The Cardinals did okay last week against Bills running back James Cook in the run game, but he did end up with over 100 total yards.
The Cardinals can’t let Williams go crazy and struggle against the passing game.
Get pressure on Matthew Stafford
The Rams will have a third-string left tackle and backup center. In their Week 1 loss to the Detroit Lions, QB Matthew Stafford was sacked twice and hit 12 times.
The Cardinals only hit Bills QB Josh Allen three times.
Stafford will make mistakes when he has to come off his spot in the pocket.
Attack Rams CBs on the perimeter
The Lions got five catches for 121 yards and a touchdown from the speedy Jameson Williams against Tre’DaviousWhite. Marvin Harrison Jr. was quiet in his debut with one catch for four yards.
Cobie Durant is questionable to play for the Rams and won’t be 100%. The Cardinals need to attack the perimeter in the passing game to allow the middle of the field to stay open.
Run the ball better
The Cardinals struggled in the run game against the Bills, although they did control the clock and build a 17-3 first-half lead. They finished with 124 yards on the ground, but 49 of those came on two consecutive plays.
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