Just when things were looking bleak for the Los Angeles Rams, they turned things around and elevated their play with two big wins that altered the trajectory of their season. Their monster performance on Monday night also showed that they can run with the best of them and are still legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
With their timely win in Week 14, they avenged their tough loss to the Cardinals earlier this season while coming within one game of first place in the NFC West and dropping the Cards to third place in the current NFC standings. So with all this going for the star-studded LA Rams, we'll now discuss the three biggest takeaways from their dominant victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football.
Rams Week 14 Takeaways Following Win Over Cardinals
Cooper Kupp has been the best receiver in the NFL this season
With 1,489 receiving yards and 12 touchdown on 113 receptions and a season average of 114.5 receiving yards per game, Cooper Kupp is the league leader among all receivers and has without a doubt been the most consistent wideout this season. Plus with stats like these, Kupp is on pace to become the first receiver to lead the league in catches, yards, and TDs since Steve Smith did it back in 2005 with the Panthers.
Aside from his historic numbers, Kupp's on-field chemistry with Matthew Stafford has also been a huge part of the Rams success on offense this year. If Kupp can keep up with this high level of production for the Rams then there's no denying that he'll be a lock for the first Pro Bowl selection of his career.
Plus with Robert Woods now set to miss the rest of the season, this will definitely give Kupp more touches. On the verge of making history and continuously making big catches each week, Kupp put his clutch playmaking on full display against the Cardinals in Week 14. Having said that, he will need to maintain his consistently great play if the Rams are to have any shot at making a Super Bowl run in 2022.
The Cardinals couldn't stop the Rams elite pass rush
On Monday night against the Rams, Kyler Murray was running for his life all night long with Aaron Donald, Leonard Floyd, and Ernest Jones overpowering the Cards offensive line throughout the game. With 13 tackles, two interceptions, and three sacks between them, the Rams front line was all too much for Murray and the Cardinals to handle in Week 14.
Their speed, strength, and relentlessness were a problem for Arizona all game long and there wasn't much they could do to stop the dynamic trio of Donald, Floyd, and Jones from wreaking havoc against them during their divisional showdown. Now just one game back of the Cardinals for first place in the NFC West, LA's defense is starting to find their groove at the right time.
Odell Beckham Jr. is returning to superstar form
Coming off a tumultuous tenure in Cleveland over the past couple of seasons, it's quite clear that Odell Beckham Jr.'s fit with the Browns was an unworkable situation. This past Monday night though, he was looking like the Pro Bowl caliber wideout we all remember seeing on the New York Giants. Against the Cardinals, OBJ posted 77 receiving yards and a touchdown on six receptions and was playing at an elite level against the top team in the NFC.
Perhaps a change of scenery was all that he needed to regain his focus and put up big numbers again. Plus with Stafford's quarterback vision and ability to move the ball around with ease, OBJ will definitely be getting more looks in the coming weeks. If anything's true in this league, it's that everybody loves a comeback story and Beckham is in the midst of a killer comeback that the Rams will benefit from greatly.