Turf Show Times
The Los Angeles Rams were on their heels early after the Arizona Cardinals marched down the field and Jacoby Brissett hit Michael Wilson for a quick opening score. It brought back memories of last week’s road upset where LA came up short to the Carolina Panthers.
Instead, the Rams leaned heavily on both Blake Corum and Kyren Williams to charge back. They never looked in the rear view mirror and controlled the rest of the game.
Los Angeles won 45-17 and moved to 10-3 on the season. With the Chicago Bears’ loss, the Rams are back in the driver’s seat for first place in the NFC conference and a first-round postseason bye.
There are several very positive individual efforts that deserve that flowers on Sunday. We’ll also find some blame to spread, though in an effort like this it will feel like splitting hairs.
The last time we saw a running back find a crease and take it the distance for a touchdown, it was probably back when Todd Gurley was still in horns. Corum hit the hole and raced for a 48-yard score—his second on the day.
Are we sure that Corum isn’t a better runner than Williams? He seems much shiftier and demonstrated that he has the long speed to house the ball. It’s simply an element that has been missing from the Rams’ offense in recent years, and Corum handled his larger workload beautifully. It’s a great sign into the late stages of the season and the playoffs.
Corum rushed 12 times for 128 yards (10.7 avg) and two scores. Williams managed 84 yards on one more carry (6.5 avg). Both were good against the Cardinals. Corum was just better.
Arizona did not have a single answer for Puka Nacua. It seemed that every time Nacua caught the ball it was for a long gain, and on the day he averaged just under 24 yards per reception. His best play was a 32-yard touchdown where he ran through defenders at the goal line to cross the plane. The star receiver caught seven of 11 targets for 167 yards and two scores.
It’s been a while since we’ve seen a vintage Nacua performance. With the Rams facing the Lions and Seahawks over the next two games, they need him firing on all cylinders.
Landman showed smooth hands on his interception of Brissett. This wasn’t a play that necessarily decided the outcome, but we should still celebrate the captain’s first interception as a Ram. Both Landman and Omar Speights were stingy in coverage for most of the game, and overall Los Angeles was stout in the run game.
There isn’t much to complain about with Stafford’s performance against the Cardinals. He wasn’t the most sharp in the red zone and missed Davante Adams early in the game. The offensive line kept him well-protected and he made the most of it by...
