By Stu Jackson, theRams.com
The 7-4 Rams face the 6-5 Cardinals on Sunday at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona in the first meeting between the two teams this season.
In advance of the contest, theRams.com takes a look back at some of the notable Rams-Cardinals games of the Sean McVay era.
Week 16, 2018 season: Rams 31, Cardinals 9
Running back C.J. Anderson’s 167 rushing yards and defensive lineman Aaron Donald’s three sacks powered Los Angeles to this big victory.
Donald’s sack total gave him 19.5 for the season, setting a new franchise single-season record, while Anderson fell just one yard shy of setting a new career-high for rushing yards in a single game.
Wide receiver Robert Woods also had a big day for Los Angeles offensively, posting six catches for 89 yards and a touchdown plus two carries for 15 yards and another score.
Week 13, 2019 season: Rams 34, Cardinals 7
The Rams got off to a fast start in this one, building a 20-0 halftime lead behind a pair of Greg Zuerlein field goals, a 2-yard Tyler Higbee touchdown catch and a 1-yard Todd Gurley touchdown run.
That advantage grew to 34-0 midway through the third quarter behind a 10-yard Cooper Kupp touchdown catch and a 31-yard pick six by Taylor Rapp, Rapp’s first interception of his career. It took a 15-yard Kyler Murray touchdown run with 8:35 left in the fourth quarter for the Cardinals to escape being shut out.
Most notable from this game, though, was Higbee’s performance. His 107 receiving yards not only marked his first 100-yard game of his NFL career, but also the first of four straight such games. Only three other tight ends in NFL history have had four consecutive games with 100 or more receiving yards.
Week 17, 2019 season: Rams 31, Cardinals 24
A memorable sendoff for the Rams’ tenure inside Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, quarterback Jared Goff’s pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns to Higbee and wide receiver Robert Woods broke a 17-all tie and gave Los Angeles enough cushion to withstand a late 1-yard Kenyan Drake rushing touchdown to hold on for the win.
Arizona reached midfield on the final drive of the game, but it ended with Los Angeles outside linebacker Samson Ebukam recovering inside linebacker Troy Reeder’s forced fumble on Damiere Byrd to officially clinch the L.A. victory.
While Higbee fell 16 yards shy of becoming the first tight end in NFL history with five straight games of 100 or more receiving yards, those 84 yards still gave him the new franchise tight end record for receiving yards in a single season – one week after setting the franchise tight end record for receptions in a single season.
Week 2, 2018 season: Rams 34, Cardinals 0
Gurley’s three rushing touchdowns and 73 scrimmage yards, coupled with limiting Cardinals running back David Johnson to zero touchdowns and 51 scrimmage yards, helped the Rams shut out the Cardinals in the first meeting between the two teams for a second straight year (the Rams defeated the Cardinals 33-0 in the first matchup of 2017).
Goff also threw for 354 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the win, completing 24 of 32 passes. Wide receiver Brandin Cooks posted 7 receptions for 159 yards, including a 57-yard grab.
