The Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals will play their second and final matchup of the season on Sunday. The Cardinals got the best of the Rams in Week 6 when they stunned Los Angeles and won as big underdogs, but Los Angeles will try to avoid the season sweep as a heavy favorite again this week.
To preview this game, we caught up with Cards Wire’s Jess Root, asking him five key questions for Sunday’s matchup in Glendale.
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1. How do you expect Carson Beck to fare in his NFL debut?
Cards Wire: It is a less-than-ideal situation. He has no Jeremiyah Love, no Marvin Harrison Jr., no Michael Wilson as playmakers. Left tackle Paris Johnson is out for the year and a third-string center will start. And it is coming against one of the most talented defenses in the league with Myles Garrett back and coming off a three-sack game. If he survives and isn’t abjectly terrible, that might be the best-case scenario.
2. Besides Trey McBride, who is the go-to receiver without Marvin Harrison Jr. and Michael Wilson?
Cards Wire: That is the question of the week. The receivers on the roster have combined four eight catches all season. Newly extended tight end Elijah Higgins has 18 catches this year. Your guess is at good as mine.
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3. What’s the biggest weakness of Arizona’s 31st-ranked defense?
Cards Wire: Their tackling is very inconsistent, but the biggest problem is they get almost nothing in terms of production from their edge rushers.
4. What do you think the Cardinals will try to replicate from their Week 6 win over the Rams?
Cards Wire: They will need the defense to be as good as they were in that game again. Offensively, it has to be the Tyler Allgeier and Trey McBride show. Bam Knight will also need to produce. If they repeat their offensive play but not their defensive play, they won’t win.
5. Who wins and final score prediction?
Cards Wire: This is going to be a rough game. It is tough seeing the Cardinals being able to do much offensively against the Rams defense. Beck is harassed but shows some promise. The defense gives up a couple of big plays in the run game. Rams 24, Cardinals 13
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams-Cardinals preview: 5 questions for Sunday’s matchup