St. Louis Rams vs Arizona Cardinals Quick Preview

By Alex Alarcon | Dec 3, 2015

The St. Louis Rams (4-7) are back in the Edward Jones Dome, as they host their rivals the Arizona Cardinals (9-2). The Rams have already beaten the Cardinals in Week 4 of the 2015 season; however the Rams will have their hands full with the Cardinals this team around. Rookie running back Todd Gurley was in the spotlight during the first meeting as he totaled 146 rushing yards in his first start at running back. Wide receiver Tavon Austin also got the offense going with 96 receiving yards with two touchdowns.

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However this time around, Gurley could be getting the ball from a new quarterback under center. Nick Foles was under center for the first meeting, yet backup quarterback Case Keenum looks to be the main man if he is cleared from his concussion. With that in mind, these NFC West rivals are heading in the opposite directions. The Cardinals are winners of five straight, as the Rams are losers of four in a row heading to Sunday’s matchup in the Dome.

Unfortunately for the red-hot Cardinals, they will be without their strong running game. Last weekend, both running backs Andre Ellington and Chris Johnson got injured in their win against the San Francisco 49ers. Johnson was placed on the injured reserve list Tuesday, which looks as if he fractured his tibia. Ellington was also hurt with turf toe, and his doubtful on Sunday. Arizona is currently ranked 12th in the NFL with an average of 115 rushing yards a game.

The Cardinals will looked to keep the running game going, with third-round pick David Johnson as the running back starter. Johnson on the season has 139 rushing yards, four touchdowns on the ground and three touchdowns through the air. However the one weakest of the rookie is his three fumbles on the year.

Oct 4, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer (3) drops back to pass against the St. Louis Rams during the first half at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

On the other side, The St. Louis Rams are enduring their longest losing streak since dropping seven games of a 2-14 season in 2011. The very next season Jeff Fisher was hired to stop the Rams losing ways, yet here is he coaching a team riding a four game losing streak.

In the last meeting, Foles had his best game of the year for the Rams in the 24-22 victory in Arizona. Foles threw for three touchdowns, with a passer rating of 126.9. But since then, Foles has been a decline which landed him on the bench. Fisher hopes to have Keenum return from his one game absence due to his concussion.

"”Hopefully he’s going to be back this week and he’ll play, I’m going to give Case a fair shot.” Per Yahoo Sports"

Keenum is 2-9 as a starter, and with the way the offensive line is shifting for the Rams, he could be getting his 10th lost Sunday. With injuries hurting the Rams once again on the line, the running game has been on a decline as well. In Gurley’s first four starts, he rushed for 566 yards along with three touchdowns. However with the o-line not performing in the losing streak, Gurley has rushed for 219 yards with three touchdowns.

The Cardinals feature the NFL’s fourth-best run defense in the league, yielding only 91.1 yards a game. Gurley is the only back this season to rush for over 100 yards against the Cardinals. It’s going to be a battle in St. Louis, will the Rams continue to keep their undefeated division record, or will the Cardinals get their 10th win on the season?