Rams vs. Cardinals: What's the Game Plan for Arizona?

It's been an easy go of it for the Arizona Cardinals in the early stages of the NFL season, but this is the week we find out what they're all about as the St. Louis Rams make their annual appearance in Glendale on Sunday afternoon.

St. Louis isn't the best team on Arizona's schedule, but it is one of the toughest, with the kind of defense that makes quarterbacks treat their linemen especially well.

The Cardinals will have to play solid, steady football if they're going to improve their record to 4-0 and maintain their grip on the NFC West. Here's a look at what they have to do against the Rams. 

Offensive Game Plan

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

"Easier said than done" is one of the more flippant idioms in the English language, if only because it discounts any inherit urgency in the given activity. Take, for example, this sentence: "The Arizona Cardinals need to find a way to keep St. Louis' defense out of the offensive backfield."

Easier said than done, right? Yes, of course, but that doesn't acknowledge the fact the Cardinals really have no choice in the matter. The offensive line must hold up against the Rams if Arizona is to have any chance of scoring on Sunday.

Led by Aaron Donald, St. Louis' front four is the nastiest in the NFL, and the back seven is filled with aggressive athletes looking to make plays near the line of scrimmage and on the ball. They've recorded 13 sacks through three weeks, and, they've also accumulated 36 QB hurries, via Pro Football Focus.

In short, expect to see a lot of max protection from Arizona on Sunday, along with several images of Cardinals linemen helping Carson Palmer up after the play. This might not be the game to get Michael Floyd going in a lot of three-wide receiver sets.

Still, you can throw on the Rams, despite the relentless pass rush and a talented secondary. They've allowed teams to complete a league-best (or league-worst, depending on your point of view) 81.6 percent of passes.

Palmer will need to be patient and pick his spots, particularly when the Rams drop seven in coverage, something their defensive line permits them to do often. If there exists a weakness in St. Louis' defense, it's in the middle of the field, where James Laurinaitis puts in an ineffective shift. 

St. Louis's run defense has been a mixed bag this season, with the right side of the defense getting torched by Washington in Week 2. The team appeared to have corrected that problem against Pittsburgh last Sunday, but the debut of Mike Iupati at left guard will give Arizona the means to test the Rams.

Per Darren Urban of the team's official website, Chris Johnson will start at running back, with Andre Ellington remaining a game-time decision. 

Defensive Game Plan

Billy Hurst/Associated Press

If you're wondering how St. Louis managed to accumulate so much talent on defense, it's because it has largely ignored the offense. Because of this, the Rams try not to gamble on that side of the ball, and that includes not letting quarterback Nick Foles do too much.

The Rams want Foles getting rid of the ball quickly, usually on screens to wide receivers or underneath to tight ends Jared Cook and Lance Kendricks. Brian Quick will be active for the first time this season, but don't expect the team to open up the playbook on his behalf.

With Todd Gurley healthy, St. Louis will try to establish their running game early. Via USA Today's Tom Pelissero, head coach Jeff Fisher wants him on the field a lot on Sunday. 

If there was ever a game for Arizona to get even more aggressive on defense, this is it. Pro Football Focus has the Rams' offensive line ranked 24th in pass protection, which should be enough incentive for James Bettcher to try to pressure Foles. Alex Okafor could have himself a game.

It goes without saying at this point, but the Cardinals' defensive line and secondary should continue to set the tone for the entire team, with both units having the clear talent advantage over the opposition. 

Key Players and Matchups

Aaron Donald

Donald was the focal point of the midweek "key matchup", but his name is worth repeating. He's very likely to be the best player on the field on Sunday, and if not for the fact he could single-handedly wreck the offense, Cardinals fans should feel privileged to watch him play twice a year. 

He'll get as much attention as possible from Arizona's offensive line, tight ends, running backs and perhaps even mascots and hot dog vendors. 

Jared Veldheer vs. Robert Quinn

Veldheer has been Arizona's best offensive lineman, and he'll get a nice boost from Mike Iupati's Cardinals debut. As mentioned above, success against the Rams on the ground has come from running in Quinn's direction, so this could turn into a favorable matchup for Arizona. 

Even if the Cardinals are stymied on the ground, Veldheer will have a job to do keeping one of the game's pre-eminent pass-rushers off his quarterback. 

Tavon Austin

Billy Hurst/Associated Press

Even though he hasn't had a breakout season in the NFL, Austin remains the closest thing St. Louis has to a playmaker on offense. They'll line him up all over the field to create favorable looks.

Through three games, he has two touchdowns on 21 touches—eight receptions, eight carries and five punt returns. Austin will be the smallest guy on the field, but he can be lethal with the ball in his hands. 

Prediction

The Cardinals are going to have to earn this one, and they will. It just might be a lot less fun than the first three weeks.

Arizona has the combination of weapons and veteran savvy on offense to effectively move the football against St. Louis' stout defense. Think of the attack as more "stick and move" than "dink and dunk." 

This game will belong to Carson Palmer. He may not post huge numbers, but he will do more than enough to remind people why the Cardinals are placing their Super Bowl hopes in his hands. 

Now all the offensive line has to do is keep him on his feet.

Final score: Cardinals 21, Rams 13