Kyler Murray Leads Cardinals to Rout of Matthew Stafford, Rams in NFC West Showdown

The Arizona Cardinals catapulted themselves to the top of the NFC West with a 37-20 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.

The Cardinals improved to 4-0 with the win. Arizona snapped an eight-game losing streak against Los Angeles as well.

Kyler Murray gave Arizona an early 7-3 lead with a 41-yard bomb to A.J. Green.

Maxx Williams made it a 14-10 game at the 10:44 mark of the second quarter with Murray's second touchdown pass.

The Cardinals didn't surrender the lead the rest of the way. James Conner broke things open with a third-quarter touchdown run.

Through the first quarter, a titanic battle between contenders appeared to be in store. Then the Cardinals outscored the Rams 30-10 as they delivered a result that will reverberate throughout the NFC.

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Notable Performers

Kyler Murray, QB, Cardinals: 24-of-32, 268 yards, two touchdowns; six carries, 39 yards

DeAndre Hopkins, WR, Cardinals: five receptions, 67 yards, one touchdown 

A.J. Green, WR, Cardinals: four receptions, 67 yards

Matthew Stafford, QB, Rams: 26-of-41, 280 yards, two touchdowns, one interception; six carries, 21 yards

Darrell Henderson Jr., RB, Rams: 14 carries, 89 yards

Van Jefferson, WR, Rams: seven receptions, 104 yards, two touchdowns

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Murray Building Early MVP Buzz Again

One play more than any other showed what kind of havoc Murray can cause at a given moment. The Rams defense appeared to have the 2020 Pro Bowler penned in on a 3rd-and-16, only to watch him scramble 18 yards for a first down in the second quarter.

Two plays later, James Conner put Arizona ahead 21-10 with a one-yard touchdown run. The Cardinals effectively got four extra points thanks to Murray's scrambling ability.

Between the way he carved up the Rams defense when he needed to on the ground and was nearly flawless through the air, this was the kind of performance that will inevitably put Murray in the MVP conversation.

The pair of Conner and Chase Edmonds warrant mention as well. The Rams allowed an average of 92.7 yards through their first three games, yet they didn't have much answer for Arizona's running game.

Conner was the go-to guy in short-yardage situations, while Edmonds was the big-play threat. With Arizona backed up on its own 4-yard line on 3rd-and-7, the latter broke free for 54 yards in the fourth quarter.

Some may be a bit hesitant to jump on the bandwagon after the Cardinals lost six of their final nine games to close out the 2020 season. But Sunday was a clear statement win for Kliff Kingsbury's squad.

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Rams Experience a Possible Reality Check

The Rams were the No. 1 team in Bleacher Report's NFL power rankings heading into the Week 4 slate. Losing this handily to a division foe at home will inevitably raise questions about whether Los Angeles' reputation was slightly inflated.

More specifically, Matthew Stafford will likely be the subject of scrutiny since no player is more important toward the franchise's Super Bowl hopes.

After a bright start to his Rams tenure, Stafford looked a little more like the passer fans became accustomed to seeing with the Detroit Lions.

Head coach Sean McVay and his coaching staff will also need to contemplate how Los Angeles allowed 465 yards and 6.2 yards per play.

Seven of Arizona's first nine drives ended in a score as the Rams couldn't string enough defensive stops together. This week followed a 34-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in which the defending NFL champions went for 446 yards, too.

Especially with the regular season now at 17 games, it's too early to begin reaching for the panic button in L.A. But the way in which the Rams fell flat shouldn't be ignored, either.

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What's Next?

The Rams have a short week ahead. They play the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night in another game that could have implications in the division race. The Cardinals host the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.