The Los Angeles Rams will be hosting the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium in Week 10 in an NFC West showdown. Both teams are desperately seeking a win with the Rams having a 3-5 record and the Cardinals being at the bottom of the division with a 3-6 record.
Los Angeles and Arizona squared off in Week 3, with the Rams coming away with a 20-12 win on the road. The Rams are now on a three-game winning streak against the Cardinals and they’ve won 11 of the last 12 meetings (including last year’s 34-11 victory in the wild-card round).
Despite Los Angeles having Arizona’s number in recent years, we know that this hasn’t been a typical year under Sean McVay. With the Rams needing a win in the worst way, here are five players to watch in Sunday’s matchup with the Cardinals.
Allen Robinson
Cooper Kupp is certainly one of the premier wide receivers in the NFL. However, the Cardinals have been one team that’s done a solid job to contain the All-Pro wideout in recent years as he has only three games with fewer than 70 receiving yards in the last two seasons, including the playoffs; all three of them have come against the Cardinals.
With Kupp likely getting plenty of attention on Sunday, Allen Robinson will need to be more involved in the offense. Robinson has combined for 13 receptions, 141 yards, and a touchdown in the last three games, which is much better than his production to begin the season.
Rob Havenstein
No one on the offensive line of the Rams can say they’ve performed consistently well this season. Even Rob Havenstein has had some rough performances this season and he’ll be tested in Week 10 against J.J. Watt.
Watt leads Arizona’s defense with 4.5 sacks, six tackles for loss, and he has three pass breakups. The Cardinals don’t have a premier pass-rushing unit in the NFL, but Havenstein will be tasked with blocking Arizona’s best pass rusher on Sunday.
Tyler Higbee
It was a fast start to the season for Tyler Higbee as he accrued 33 receptions for 290 yards in the first five games of the season. The veteran tight end was operating as the No. 2 option in the passing game with Matthew Stafford needing time to get on the same page as Robinson.
Meanwhile, in the last three games for the Rams, Higbee has combined for only three receptions for 22 yards. To be fair, Higbee has dealt with multiple injuries in recent weeks. If Higbee is going to bounce back, it will be this week against the Cardinals, who have allowed the most receiving yards and touchdowns to tight ends this season.
Leonard Floyd
Just two weeks ago, Leonard Floyd had his best outing of the season against the San Francisco 49ers with nine tackles, two sacks, and two tackles for loss. With Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers getting the ball out quickly last week, Floyd posted only three tackles.
This is a perfect week for Floyd to bounce back as the Cardinals could have a banged-up Kyler Murray playing quarterback on Sunday. Even with Murray being hobbled, Floyd and the other edge rushers will need to remain disciplined to prevent the dynamic quarterback from getting out of the pocket.
Jalen Ramsey
Jalen Ramsey saw plenty of Mike Evans last week against the Buccaneers and he’ll have another matchup with a talented wideout in Week 10. Ramsey and DeAndre Hopkins have had plenty of showdowns dating back to their days with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Houston Texans.
The Rams don’t have Ramsey shadow the opposing team’s No. 1 wide receiver, but the All-Pro cornerback will still see plenty of Hopkins on Sunday. Following a devastating loss where Ramsey was understandably frustrated, he could have a special performance in Week 10.
