NFL Week 14 Game Recap: Los Angeles Rams 30, Arizona Cardinals 23

The Los Angeles Rams are right back in the conversation to win the NFC West and contend for the NFC's No. 1 overall seed following a 30-23 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Monday night. 

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Matthew Stafford finally seemed to shake the turnover bug while creating the explosive offense that Los Angeles sorely missed.

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Los Angeles Rams

Quarterback.

Stafford looked more like the quarterback from the first two months of the season, as he often pushed the ball downfield. Head coach Sean McVay used more play-action to set up his vertical shots, creating more one-on-ones.

Running Back

Sony Michel created a healthy rhythm for McVay’s offense between passes, punching through holes between the tackles. Not only did Michel’s night keep the offense on schedule, but it also made Stafford’s play-action shots much more effective as the game went on.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Cooper Kupp was the most productive Rams receiver, but the story of the passing game was Odell Beckham, Jr.‘s highly-anticipated breakout game. Beckham found his way into open areas on third downs with in-breaking routes and won his one-on-ones on the perimeter. Each of his receptions added immense value to the Rams' passing game, forcing Arizona to keep an extra set of eyes on the talented receiver.

Offensive Line

The Rams have finally seemed to find their identity as an effective rushing offense that uses screens and play-action passes to keep the quarterback clean. For the first game in several weeks, Stafford was mostly clean as he worked through his progression, as he was rarely pressured.

Defensive Line

There may be some bias due to how often Los Angeles has played in primetime television slots, but it's difficult to think of many big games where Aaron Donald hasn’t looked like the greatest defensive tackle to play the game. Donald flushed Murray off of his platform on what felt like a once-per-drive average, and his production helped protect the secondary.

Linebackers

Anyone watching the box score would be quick to tell you that Los Angeles stuffs a good amount of runs at or near the line of scrimmage, leaving little opportunity for linebackers to make an impact in the run game. Ernest Jones was used as a blitzer and coverage linebacker, but he struggled to impact the game in either role, as he often gave up receptions to James Conner.

Secondary

Darious Williams was targeted the most among Rams defensive backs, allowing over 100 yards from a handful of receptions. Kareem Orr allowed 66 yards of his own, and the secondary sorely missed Jalen Ramsey, who was inactive due to the NFL’s health and safety protocols.

Arizona Cardinals

Quarterback

Kyler Murray’s dynamic athleticism created much more offense for Arizona than the playcalls' intended structure, but the quarterback dug his own hole with poorly timed turnovers. His first interception came in a first-half ‘goal-to-go’ situation and his second occurred deep in his own territory.

Running Back

James Conner scored twice on the ground, but his most impactful production came as a receiver out of the backfield. The running back used angle routes and check downs to punish linebackers and flashed improved catching abilities since his time in Pittsburgh.

Wide Receiver/Tight End

Without Jalen Ramsey, the Rams lacked the horses to match up with Arizona’s wide receiver talent, and A.J. Green was the main beneficiary Monday night. Any time there was a young or inexperienced corner lined up outside, Murray attacked that matchup early and often.

Offensive Line

Once Los Angeles had its lead, Arizona’s offensive line struggled to keep Los Angeles’ athletic pass-rushers away from Murray. Guard Max Garcia was hopeless against Aaron Donald in protection, and there was no help on the way now that Von Miller is fully integrated into the Rams defense.

Defensive Line

Chandler Jones logged one of Arizona’s three sacks, but he and his pass rush unit couldn’t affect Stafford’s rhythm within the pocket. No Cardinals player was able to log more than two pressures on the night.

Linebackers

Isaiah Simmons and Jordan Hicks gave up receptions on four of their six coverage targets for a pair of first downs. In addition, they combined for two tackles for loss or no gain and two total pressures. The stat lines are better than their actual impact on the game.

Secondary

Jalen Thompson gave up 83 yards and a score on Monday night, most of which came on a deep post route thrown to Van Jefferson. That explosive pass allowed the Rams to create enough distance in the scoring margin to control the pace of the second half.