NFC Wild Card
(5) Arizona Cardinals at (4) Los Angeles Rams
Cardinals: It’s been a wild, wild year for them. They got off to that 7-0 start and the NFC was looking to be theirs. Not necessarily. After that hot start to the season, they went 4-6 in their final ten games and just never looked the same after that. If they don’t get off to that quick beginning, they probably don’t clinch a playoff berth if I’m being honest. Despite the struggles down the stretch, this is still a dangerous team nonetheless and it starts with Kyler Murray. Yes, the Cardinals were able to win a few games here and there without him, but he puts the offense over the top. They’ve also been operating without DeAndre Hopkins. Not being on the field has shown how much he means to this team. I mentioned this a few weeks ago when I said he’s Kyler’s safety valve. Every quarterback has one. I can say if he’s healthy, the Cardinals are probably sitting at the top of the NFC West. What worries me is their secondary. They can be vulnerable in pass coverage. Look what the Seahawks did to them in the season finale. The defense as a whole was able to bring Russell Wilson down only once. Tomorrow night, they will face a divisional opponent to wrap up Wild Card Weekend.
Rams: It wasn’t easy, but they won the NFC West as expected. They’ve been the talk of the league in different ways this year. When the season started, they were breezing through the competition. It also showed that Matthew Stafford wasn’t the problem in Detroit either. I was excited for him because he had a running game to lean on, the stingy defense to get him the ball back and present him with short fields then the weapons he had to get the ball to. Speaking of those weapons. Let’s talk about one of them. Mr. Cooper Kupp. He’s emerged as the top option for this Rams offense in the passing game. The one issue I’ve had with the Rams has been the quarterback’s consistent turnovers. As I said on “The Sports Cubicle” the other day, being a gunslinger can get you in some trouble and that’s what Matthew is. Remember when they acquired Von Miller from the Broncos? That was to separate themselves from everyone in a competitive NFC. They finished the regular season winning five of their last six games. On Monday night, they will welcome a divisional opponent to town.
Cardinals X-Factor: Zach Ertz– I liked when they made this move in-season. When healthy, Zach is a force for any offense. He’s a playmaker and a difficult cover for any defense. The one thing he hasn’t received much credit for is his ability to block downfield in the running game. Zach was a member of the 2017 Eagles team that won the Super Bowl. He knows about these playoff games. That experience will come in handy.
Rams X-Factor: Sony Michel– Another guy with some experience. The best way to keep an explosive playmaker such as Kyler off the field is to what? Play keep away. Run the football. I’ll admit I was worried about their offense and the lack of a running game. As of late, they’ve reverted to a consistent ground attack. Sony got his big-game experience playing in the SEC and Foxboro with the Patriots. Arizona still struggles to limit the run at times.
Final Thoughts: It’s another divisional showdown in the playoffs. When they met in week four, the Cardinals went into SoFi and punched the Rams in the mouth. This was the game that made me realize they weren’t going anywhere anytime soon. When they played in December, the Rams got their revenge and that’s what gave them some confidence moving forward. If the Rams want to make a run in these playoffs, they can’t keep turning the ball over as they have. It starts and ends with Stafford who is still looking for his first playoff win. Without Hopkins, the Cardinals will need a big-time performance from Ertz, Kirk, and A.J. Green to replace that production. This should be a fun one to close out the Wild Card round.
Prediction: Rams 35, Cardinals 27
