The San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks get the most pub in the NFC West, but don't sleep on the division's other two teams.
That's what we learned from the St. Louis Rams' 27-24 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday at the Edward Jones Dome, a well-played game by two teams that will be competitive all season.
The Rams stepped up in the second half, scoring the game's final 14 points to wipe out a 24-13 third-quarter deficit. Plenty of credit goes to Sam Bradford, the quarterback who got a pivotal season in his career off to a nice start. Bradford's 25-yard hookup with tight end Jared Cook was the key play of St. Louis' final drive, setting up the go-ahead 48-yard field goal from Greg Zuerlein.
Cook was a beast all day, and he came one brilliant ball-hawking Tyrann Mathieu maneuver away from a three-touchdown afternoon. Cook's display in his Rams debut makes you wonder how the Tennessee Titans managed to marginalize him for so long.
It was a disappointing result for the Cardinals, but there were positives to take from coach Bruce Arians' debut. Carson Palmer threw the ball well, showing Arizona has successfully moved on from The Great QB Dumpster Fire of 2012. And, as expected, Palmer's arrival has done wonders for Larry Fitzgerald, who looked like his formerly dominant self.
The Cardinals got big plays from Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd and Andre Roberts, who combined for 20 receptions, 259 yards and two scores. This could be one of football's best wide receiver trios by the end of December.
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