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Early preview: Rams vs. Cardinals
December 01, 2015 1:05 am • By Joe Lyons
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_9cd77ebc-2c73-5204-9276-4716b5c3b413.html
COMING THIS WEEK
The reeling Rams, 4-7 and losers in their last four outings, will square off with the hottest team outside of undefeated Carolina when they face the Arizona Cardinals (9-2) in a noon game Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome. Arizona gutted out a 19-13 win at San Francisco on Sunday and has won five in a row and six of its last seven.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. In his 12th NFL season, the 32-year-old Fitzgerald shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. On Sunday, he caught 10 passes for 66 yards while surpassing a pair of league legends. With 13,143 career receiving yards, he passed Hall of Famer Steve Largent and moved into 16th place on the all-time list and with 992 career catches as he moved to No. 12, passing future Hall of Famer Randy Moss as well as current 49ers’ wideout Anquan Boldin.
An eight-time Pro Bowl selection, Fitzgerald has 83 catches for 992 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
HE SAID IT
“It was just a fight,’’ Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer said after the Cardinals won at San Francisco for the first time since 2008. “That was an NFC West fight. And that’s what we’re going. Being on top the way we are, we’re going to get everybody’s best shot.’’
Palmer, who struggled at times Sunday, scored the go-ahead TD on an 8-yard run with 2:28 to play. It was just the eighth scoring run of his career and his first since 2008. With the win, the Cardinals have a three-game lead atop the NFC West.
INJURIES
Rams coach Jeff Fisher is hopeful that QB Case Keenum (concussion), DE Robert Quinn (hip/back), tackle Rob Havenstein (calf), cornerback Trumaine Johnson (thigh) and kicker Greg Zuerlein (groin) can make it back to the practice field at some point this week.
In the third quarter of Sunday’s road game, the Cardinals lost cornerback Jerraud Powers (calf) and running backs Chris Johnson (knee) and Andre Ellington (foot) to injury. On Monday, Johnson, a prime candidate for Comeback Player of the Year, learned that he’d broken his tibia and would be out indefinitely. The Cardinals played Sunday without defensive linemen Frostee Rucker (ankle), Cory Redding (ankle) and Ed Stinson (groin).
SERIES HISTORY
The Rams, who trail 37-35-2 in the series, snapped a three-game losing streak against the Cardinals with a 24-22 win on Oct. 4 at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Rams set the tone early in the Week 4 contest as Mark Barron knocked the ball away from the Cardinals’ David Johnson on the opening kickoff and teammate Daren Bates recovered at the Arizona 17 to set up a 12-yard TD pass from Nick Foles to Tavon Austin. The visiting Rams held the lead the rest of the way, limiting the Cardinals to five field goals and a TD pass with 4:38 to play.
December 01, 2015 1:05 am • By Joe Lyons
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_9cd77ebc-2c73-5204-9276-4716b5c3b413.html
COMING THIS WEEK
The reeling Rams, 4-7 and losers in their last four outings, will square off with the hottest team outside of undefeated Carolina when they face the Arizona Cardinals (9-2) in a noon game Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome. Arizona gutted out a 19-13 win at San Francisco on Sunday and has won five in a row and six of its last seven.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. In his 12th NFL season, the 32-year-old Fitzgerald shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. On Sunday, he caught 10 passes for 66 yards while surpassing a pair of league legends. With 13,143 career receiving yards, he passed Hall of Famer Steve Largent and moved into 16th place on the all-time list and with 992 career catches as he moved to No. 12, passing future Hall of Famer Randy Moss as well as current 49ers’ wideout Anquan Boldin.
An eight-time Pro Bowl selection, Fitzgerald has 83 catches for 992 yards and seven touchdowns this season.
HE SAID IT
“It was just a fight,’’ Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer said after the Cardinals won at San Francisco for the first time since 2008. “That was an NFC West fight. And that’s what we’re going. Being on top the way we are, we’re going to get everybody’s best shot.’’
Palmer, who struggled at times Sunday, scored the go-ahead TD on an 8-yard run with 2:28 to play. It was just the eighth scoring run of his career and his first since 2008. With the win, the Cardinals have a three-game lead atop the NFC West.
INJURIES
Rams coach Jeff Fisher is hopeful that QB Case Keenum (concussion), DE Robert Quinn (hip/back), tackle Rob Havenstein (calf), cornerback Trumaine Johnson (thigh) and kicker Greg Zuerlein (groin) can make it back to the practice field at some point this week.
In the third quarter of Sunday’s road game, the Cardinals lost cornerback Jerraud Powers (calf) and running backs Chris Johnson (knee) and Andre Ellington (foot) to injury. On Monday, Johnson, a prime candidate for Comeback Player of the Year, learned that he’d broken his tibia and would be out indefinitely. The Cardinals played Sunday without defensive linemen Frostee Rucker (ankle), Cory Redding (ankle) and Ed Stinson (groin).
SERIES HISTORY
The Rams, who trail 37-35-2 in the series, snapped a three-game losing streak against the Cardinals with a 24-22 win on Oct. 4 at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Rams set the tone early in the Week 4 contest as Mark Barron knocked the ball away from the Cardinals’ David Johnson on the opening kickoff and teammate Daren Bates recovered at the Arizona 17 to set up a 12-yard TD pass from Nick Foles to Tavon Austin. The visiting Rams held the lead the rest of the way, limiting the Cardinals to five field goals and a TD pass with 4:38 to play.