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The undefeated Los Angeles Rams are heading back to SoFi Stadium as a 4.5 favorite to beat the other unbeaten the Arizona Cardinals.
While both teams will carry a bevy of momentum with them at the pristine Inglewood venue on Sunday, the Rams have dominated this series as of late — with head coach Sean McVay yet to experience defeat against the Cards.
And when these three Ram offensive players hit the field, they end up putting up some of their best statistical games against their rivals from Glendale, Arizona.
More astonishing: All three have a combined record of 23-1 versus “the Red Sea.”
Who are the three?
Tight End Tyler Higbee
The 28-year-old Higbee has logged the most games against the Cardinals with 10. And the one loss he experienced to Arizona came when he didn’t catch a pass and before McVay’s arrival.
But he hasn’t tasted defeat against AZ since — and has departed the NFL version of the red sea with plays like this red zone score from 2019 that involved a cut back to the inside.
Last year, he again won the red zone battle against AZ, this one through a end zone fade.
Higbee’s numbers against the Cardinals per Pro Football Reference: 28 receptions, 294 yards, average of 10.5 yards a catch and four touchdowns. In 2019, he totaled 15 receptions for 191 yards and two touchdowns.
So Higbee has dominated statistically against AZ. But on Monday, September 27, he downplayed the dominance when asked by the L.A. media about how he’s able to take his game another notch against the Cards.
“I don’t know. In the last few meetings, footballs found me a little bit more,” Higbee said in the video interview below. “I’m just trying to make the most of my ops (opportunities). Hopefully it’s another one.”
Wide Receiver Robert Woods
Just like McVay, Woods has never taken an “L” against the Cards.
However, Woods tasted victory before his arrival to L.A.: He caught six passes for 51 yards in the September 25, 2016 win over Arizona when he was a Buffalo Bills wideout.
Woods is 8-0 all-time against the Cards. Last year in Glendale, Woods hauled in 10 catches for 85 yards in the 38-28 victory. But his best outing? A 13-catch, 172-yard day on December 1, 2019 on the road during the Rams’ 34-7 romp — which was also a game where Woods was targeted 18 times.
For his career against the Cards, Woods has snatched 57 catches for 640 yards and two touchdowns in all eight meetings.
Wide Receiver Cooper Kupp
The fifth-year veteran Kupp, the NFL’s current leader in receiving yards at 367, has played in six games against Sunday’s opponent and came out victorious in all six contests.
And his last two meetings has seen the catches and yardage spike.
In the December 29, 2019 meeting at the L.A. Memorial Coliseum, Kupp was the recipient of seven catches for 99 yards and one score. Then last year on the road, Kupp finished with the stat line of eight receptions for 73 yards.
He didn’t play in the January 3, 2021 meeting due to being placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Like the above two, Kupp has scored against the Cardinals’ red zone defense, as seen here from 2019:
He also accomplished this toe tap in the same season but in Glendale:
All three receiving options have had immense success in stats and in wins against the Cardinals. The difference this time, though, is that they’ll face an AZ team with an identical record to the Rams and with its own offense firing on all cylinders. But Sunday presents a great opportunity for the Rams to keep the winning streak, plus unbeaten record, on their side…which would additionally give these guys a 24-1 combined record.
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