MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL: LOS ANGELES RAMS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS

BY ADAM GREENE

If the Los Angeles Rams have any shot at claiming the NFC West and a home playoff game, it’s all on the line Monday night when they travel to State Farm Stadium to take on the current NFC No. 1 seeded Arizona Cardinals.

This rivalry has been lopsided in the Sean McVay era and before last October, he’d never lost to Arizona. That defeat, a 37-20 shellacking at SoFi Stadium, served notice that this Cards team was for real and none of the past streaks would matter.

Kyler Murray threw for 268 yards and tow touchdowns in that game with Chase Edmonds rushing for 120 and James Conner adding two rushing TDs. AJ Green and DeAndre Hopkins both finished with 67 yards receiving and Green caught a score. Matthew Stafford was good for 280 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. Darrell Henderson rushed for 89 yards and Van Jefferson led the Rams with six catches for 90 yards and a score.

These two teams are linked in plenty of oddball ways, including the fact that they both once played in St. Louis and then bailed on that town. Hall of Fame quarterback Kurt Warner took both franchises to the Super Bowl, winning and losing one with the Rams and losing one with the Cards. Hall of Fame defensive back Aeneas Williams (who played with Warner in 2001 and 2002) also played for both teams.

This will be the 87^th all time meeting between the squads with LA holding a 45-39-2 lead.

LOS ANGELES RAMS AT ARIZONA CARDINALS (-1, O/U: 51)

Location: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.

Broadcast: ESPN

Kickoff: Dec. 13, 8:15 p.m.

LOS ANGELES RAMS (8-4)

Los Angeles broke a three game losing streak with a 37-7 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars that, frankly, didn’t mean a whole lot. Stafford threw for 295 yards and three touchdowns and running back Sony Michel broke out, carrying the ball 24 times for 121 yards and a touchdown for the first Ram 100 yard rushing performance of the season. Cooper Kupp continued his record tear, catching eight passes for 129 yards and a score. Van Jefferson and Odell Beckham Jr. hauled in TDs too. LA’s defense sacked Trevor Lawrence twice and held Jacksonville to 61 total yards rushing.

ARIZONA CARDINALS (10-2)

The Cardinals had little trouble knocking off the Chicago Bears 33-22 last week. Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins made their triumphant returns, but thanks to the defense forcing four interceptions, they didn’t have to do a whole lot. Murray passed for 123 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 59 yards and two more scores. James Conner had 75 yards and caught two passes for 36 yards and a TD.

THE PICK

I’d like to believe the Rams can show up when the really need to, but “No Win November” still weighs heavily on my mind. The only team they’ve beaten that currently has a winning record is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. No slouch, but Stafford has never defeated a team five games or more over .500 in his career. There’s always a first time, but to quote the motto of the state both these teams left in the dirt, they’ll have to show me first before I buy it. Cardinals 31, Rams 28

Last week

Straight up: 10-4

Against the spread: 11-3

Season

Straight up: 116-77-1

Against the spread: 99-95

Follow Adam Greene on Twitter @TheFirstMan.

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