3 big time matchups for Arizona Cardinals vs. Rams in Week 6
By Sion Fawkes
When the Arizona Cardinals meet the Los Angeles Rams, it’s always a big game, as there are a few connections between the two franchises. For one, they each called St. Louis their home at one point in their respective histories, and for another, they are both among the oldest franchises in the NFL, so they have met quite a few times before becoming division rivals in 2022.
The two cities also share rivalries in the MLB (Diamondbacks and Dodgers), and the NBA (Suns and Lakers/Clippers). And speaking of which, there is little doubt the Rams would love nothing more than to avenge the Dodgers loss in the NLDS to the Diamondbacks, so this game may be a little more personal than meets the eye.
Anyway, there are also quite a few huge matchups to look forward to this week, and we will cover three of them below.
3 huge matchups between Arizona Cardinals and Rams
1 - Cardinals running game vs. Rams run defense
The Cardinals running game took a major hit when James Conner went down with a knee injury and landed on injured reserve. However, Emari Demercado played well enough last week to at least inspire hope in the Red Sea that he can at least be serviceable this Sunday.
Demercado was facing a Bengals unit that following last week’s game is one of the worst rushing defenses in football, and they rank second-worst only to the Denver Broncos at the moment. However, the Rams defense also doesn’t look great, as they’ve allowed the 13th-highest total rushing yards of any team so far this season.
Demercado will likely get the starting nod this Sunday, as second-year back Keaontay Ingram is still dealing with a neck injury and has been limited in practice as of Thursday. The rookie’s performance will be a confidence booster as he seeks to log his first career start this Sunday, barring an injury or unforeseen circumstance.