The Arizona Cardinals may have beaten the Rams once in 2026. But their previous meeting exposed one massive weakness in the Cardinals.
In Week 6, the Cardinals beat the Rams by kicking six field goals and controlling the time-of-possession game, with the defense doing just enough to hold Los Angeles in check. Arizona visited the red zone on five of their drives and converted none of them into touchdowns.
Things have rarely changed in Week 10. Heading into Sunday, Arizona’s red zone offense has converted 42.9 percent of its chances into touchdowns. That number ranks 30th in the NFL, per Pro-Football-Reference. Only the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets rank lower.
By contrast, the Rams’ red zone defense is sixth in the league, allowing touchdowns 43.3 percent of the time. If quarterback Carson Beck can bring one thing Jacoby Brissett couldn’t, it must involve leading Arizona to the end zone more often when they enter the red zone.
Controlling the ball and the clock are two ingredients Arizona must bring on Sunday. But converting inside the 20 could make Week 10 much easier to deal with the Rams than in Week 6. That is also contingent on the Cardinals’ defense enjoying a similar outing.
Carson Beck Faces Difficult Assignment Against Rams Defense
The Cardinals have struggled moving the ball in most games, regardless of who lined up under center. Through nine contests, Arizona has averaged 4.7 yards per play offensively, which is tied for the fourth-worst mark in the league.
Meanwhile, the Rams have allowed 5.0 yards per play, which is tied for the sixth-lowest. The big picture shows that this is a depleted offense for the Cardinals that has been primarily ineffective gearing up to face one of the league’s most consistent defenses.
This also shows that Beck’s biggest challenge goes beyond finishing drives. Simply moving the ball against this Rams defense will be a challenge in and of itself. Should Arizona find itself in the red zone, that kickstarts another challenge entirely.
Meanwhile, the Rams’ defense is allowing third-down conversions 31.6 percent of the time. That is also among the lowest (fourth-lowest) in the league. If there is one silver lining, it is that Arizona is converting its third downs 38.0 percent of the time, ranking 15th.
Arizona Can’t Assume Its Defense Holds Again
Arizona’s defense has enjoyed three very good outings, one of which came against the Rams. The problem? All three of their best defensive performances came on the road.
Arizona has given up 30+ points in all three home games; they have lost 10 straight home games and have had awful luck with injuries on both sides of the ball.
So, it’s hard to believe that the defense holds its own inside its home stadium until it proves otherwise. This is where the ball-control approach gets even more important for Arizona. Still, it must get creative in the red zone to convert opportunities into touchdowns and not give the Rams momentum with so many stalled drives inside the 20.
For Carson Beck, the reward is sheer optimism if he and Arizona’s offense overcome these obstacles.
Cardinals’ Last Rams Upset Hides Troubling Warning for Sunday’s Rematch