Week 3 of the 2022 NFL season brings two longtime NFC West rivals back together. The Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals, both 1-1, will kick off their division slate against each other on Sunday in Glendale. These teams last met in the Wild Card Round of last season's playoffs, which the Rams won on their way to a Super Bowl championship. Needless to say, there's no love lost in this rematch.
The Cardinals are riding high after a miraculous comeback in Week 2. After falling behind 20-0 against the Raiders, Arizona stormed back for a 29-23 overtime win to stun Las Vegas. Following a thrashing against the Chiefs in week 1, the Cardinals desperately needed this win to get their season back on track.
Meanwhile, the Rams nearly found themselves on the other end of such a comeback. LA jumped out to a 28-3 lead against the Falcons, ironically enough, early in the fourth quarter. Atlanta then mounted a furious comeback attempt, but fell just short as the Rams held on for a 31-27 win.
Both teams have question marks coming into this matchup, but the Cardinals don't have the luxury of being the defending Super Bowl champions. With all that in mind, here are a few bold predictions for Arizona in this showdown.
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4. Cardinals pick off Matthew Stafford at least once
Through the first two games of the season, Stafford has been extremely turnover-prone. The Rams QB leads the league with five interceptions so far. His passer rating is also a disappointing 80.7, lower than QBs such as Davis Mills and Jameis Winston.
While Stafford has struggled this season, Arizona's defense has also struggled against the pass. The Cardinals are allowing 302 passing yards per game, second-most in the NFL. To be fair, they've faced Patrick Mahomes, arguably the best QB in the league, and Derek Carr, another solid passer.
Both Stafford and Arizona's pass defense must improve for each team to reach its goals. Stafford should be able to cut down on the picks in this game, but not eliminate them entirely. The Cardinals' defense could well earn its first interception of the season, and that will go a long way in securing the upset.
3. Kyler Murray has two touchdowns and no turnovers
Murray has gotten off to another exciting start to the season in 2022. Through the first two games, Murray has completed 53-of-83 passes for 470 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. On the ground, he has 10 carries for 57 yards and a touchdown.
Those stats may not be as ridiculous as his start to last season, when he had nine total touchdowns in the first two games. However, judging Murray's performance just by his stats would be a huge disservice. He has made some spectacular plays so far, particularly during the comeback against the Raiders:
MURRAY MAGIC!!!!!!!!!@K1 X #BirdCityFootball pic.twitter.com/6lwMSQVP1r
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) September 18, 2022
If Murray can make plays like that, Arizona has a great chance of winning this game. Expect him to go for at least two total touchdowns while limiting the mistakes.
2. Cardinals hold Cooper Kupp under 80 yards with no touchdowns
Since the start of last season, Kupp has been the best receiver in football, without question. He put up ridiculous numbers last season, with 145 catches for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns to win Offensive Player of the Year. He then continued that run in the playoffs, with 33 catches for 478 yards and six touchdowns, capping it off with a Super Bowl MVP.
However, one team has managed to contain Kupp better than any other since then: Arizona. In the first game on Oct. 3, the Cardinals limited him to just five receptions on 13 targets for 64 yards, by far his lowest total in the regular season. They then held him to 61 yards in the Wild Card Round, although he did find the end zone and had six fewer targets.
The caveat with those stats is that both of those games took place in Los Angeles. In the matchup in Arizona on Dec. 13, Kupp went off with 13 catches for 123 yards and a score. This game also takes place in Arizona, and the Cardinals will have to bring that road success back home this time.
Still, the Cardinals have held Kupp to his two lowest receiving totals since the start of last season. They can absolutely do it again, and keeping him out of the end zone is a big key to success.
1. Cardinals beat the Rams in overtime
If there's one thing we've learned about the Cardinals recently, it's that they have a flair for the dramatic. Arizona had some thrilling finishes last season, including a win over the Minnesota Vikings thanks to a missed field goal and a loss to the Green Bay Packers thanks to a late pick in the end zone. The game against the Raiders only reinforced that narrative, and, fortunately for the Cardinals, they were on the right end this time.
Divisional matchups are always dramatic, especially in a division as tough as the NFC West. The Rams are also no stranger to exciting finishes, and their playoff run is proof of that. This game has potential to be an instant classic, and Arizona could be celebrating by the end of it.
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