The Arizona Cardinals are 4-0. Wait, did I just say that? Yes, the Arizona Cardinals, fresh off quarterback controversies and the whole nine yards, are 4-0. In fact, in a division that was the San Francisco 49ers to run away with, all four teams are currently .500 or better, including Thursday’s opponent for Arizona, the St. Louis Rams. The Rams are finding their identity under first-year head coach Jeff Fisher. Fisher is known for the grind it out, smash mouth style of football that he coined during his long tenure in Tennessee. The Rams are figuring that out, as they currently sit 2-2 after a 19-13 win over the Seattle Seahawks. When the schedule makers had this game in the Thursday night slot, it was probably because they needed to get these two teams in a primetime game, and the earlier the better, as neither were expected to do much in 2012. However this game actually has major divisional implications.
THE GAME
The Cardinals are no slouch. With a 4-0 record and wins over Washington, New England and Philadelphia, the Cardinals are – and should be – in the conversation for the potential favorite to come out of the NFC West. Even with the 49ers still the class of that division, the Cardinals have proven that they can win close games. Despite ranking 25th or worse in three of the four major offensive categories, the Cardinals have found ways to win with defense, holding the Eagles and Patriots to a combined 24 points in weeks two and three, including just six points to Michael Vick and the Eagles. The interesting dynamic with the Cardinals is the quarterback play. No one wanted this job in the offseason. In the regular season, however, Kevin Kolb has finally emerged as a valuable weapon, mainly because he is protecting the football. Kolb has thrown only two interceptions to seven touchdowns, after throwing eight interceptions in nine games in 2011.
WHAT TO WATCH
The Cardinals and the Rams don’t score a lot. In fact, both offenses are really not very good, especially if you limit Larry Fitzgerald for the Cardinals. The over/under for this game is 39.0, which means this game should come down to defense, much the way Jeff Fisher likes to play. The interesting dynamic in this game is Arizona’s success in St. Louis. The Cardinals have won seven straight over the Rams in St. Louis, which isn’t saying a whole lot because the Rams really haven’t beaten many teams over the last several years.
PREDICTION
The Cardinals look like the better team on paper, but like the one-point spread indicates, it’s not by much. In a primetime game at home, expect the Rams to come out ready to play. Jeff Fisher usually has a trick or two up his sleeve in games like this, especially with the game at home. As hard as it may be to pick against the undefeated Cardinals, I don’t think it would be much of a surprise to many to see the Rams beat the Cardinals at home and improve to 3-2 on the year.