3 bold predictions for Arizona Cardinals vs. Rams – Week 3

The Arizona Cardinals hold an outstanding edge of momentum in their upcoming Week 3 contest against the Los Angeles Rams. 

After pulling off one of the greatest upsets in franchise history, the Arizona Cardinals come back home to face a Los Angeles Rams team that looks like they are anything but a defending Super Bowl champion. The Rams struggled in their first two games, nearly allowing a rebuilding Atlanta Falcons team to embarrass them on their home turf.

This sets a nice stage for the Cardinals and one of those bold prediction articles that will let me push the envelope a little more than I had during the previous two weeks. So perhaps I should have used the word ultra when titling this one. Anyway, expect three ultra bold predictions in the Cards vs. Rams tilt this week.

Bold Prediction #1 – Arizona Cardinals pick off Stafford 3 times

We knew shoulder issues could be a bane for Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford this season. And with a 6.5% interception rate, things are looking ultra bleak for a quarterback who hit some career highs last season – including a division championship, winning his first three playoff games, and the Super Bowl.

While the Cardinals have injuries and inconsistency in the defensive backfield, they should see a golden opportunity against Stafford and the Rams here. So much that it shouldn’t be surprising for the Cardinals to record not their first, not their second, but their third interception of the season when this one is all said and done.

Bold Prediction #2 – Greg Dortch scores twice

Dortch leads the Cardinals in receptions and receiving yards. He is one of three on the team, with Zach Ertz and Marquise Brown, to record a receiving touchdown. Despite his small size, Dortch proved to be an effective player, and expect that trend to continue with an exclamation point in Week 3.

Dortch will score twice through the air, once on a deep pass from quarterback Kyler Murray and again on a short out route at the goal line. Of the Cardinals receivers filling in for a suspended DeAndre Hopkins, Dortch has been the best and it’s hardly a toss-up. He is currently on pace for a 94-reception, 1,003-yard season, and 8 touchdowns.

Bold Prediction #3 – Cardinals rally late

Why not make this bold prediction? Last week, the Rams collapsed and the Cardinals wrote a script to a Hollywood blockbuster. In this game, I’ll have the Cardinals trailing 24-16 heading into the fourth quarter following three field goals and a touchdown in the second and third quarters.

The Rams will kick off to open the quarter after scoring and extending their lead to eight points. The Cardinals score early in the quarter on that long pass to Dortch, but fail on the two-point conversion, bringing the game to within two points.

Look for the Rams to get the ball and for Stafford to drive them down for a field goal. Murray leads the Cardinals on an epic eight-minute drive and tosses that short pass to an open Dortch while the Rams are expecting Zach Ertz to come up with the reception. The Cardinals succeed on the two-point conversion and lead 30-27, but the Rams have time for one last drive.

At the Cardinals 45 yard line with less than a minute to go, Stafford attempts a quick pass to take the Rams into field goal range, but a spying Zaven Collins comes up with the interception and seals the deal in a second thriller in as many weeks. The Cardinals win this one, 30-27.

(Statistics provided by Pro-Football-Reference)