What to watch for in Arizona Cardinals season finale
By Sion Fawkes
Rams roster woes
The Cardinals have a golden opportunity to upset the Rams this week considering the latter’s roster woes. And while Kyler Murray is coming back and may not be at full strength, the Cardinals are facing virtually a preseason roster in important positions.
The Rams already lost Jared Goff to a broken thumb sustained last week against the Seattle Seahawks. In his place steps John Wolford, a standout in the Alliance of American Football. Wolford also played well in the 2019 preseason for the Rams. But still, he’s never started an NFL game. He’s in another ballpark against a stingy Arizona pass rush.
But losing Goff is the tip of the iceberg. The Rams are without receiver Cooper Kupp and defensive tackle Michael Brockers because of COVID. Running back Darrell Henderson, who made strides in the running game this season, is also out. And back in November, the Rams lost tackle Andrew Whitworth.
This gives the Cardinals a huge advantage heading into Sunday. Problem is, the Cardinals had an identical advantage in week 16 against the San Francisco 49ers and they blew it against third-string quarterback C.J. Beathard and running back Jeff Wilson.
The Cardinals should consider week 17 a mulligan. This time with the season on the line and no room for error.