What we learned from the Cardinals’ big win over the Rams

The Arizona Cardinals again got it done in Los Angeles behind an 18-16 win over the Rams and shocked the NFL in the process.

With another improbable win for first-year head coach Mike LaFleur, the Cardinals now sit third in the NFC West at 2-4 after snapping a four-game losing streak.

The Rams, who were picked by many to win the Super Bowl this year, round out the division with Arizona holding the head-to-head tiebreaker.

How did the Cardinals pull off the upset? And what can the franchise take with it after Sunday’s W?

Let’s dive in:

Nick Rallis reaches back into his bag

Heading into this game, a lot of people expected Sunday to be Cardinals defensive coordinator Nick Rallis’ final game in his role.

After multiple games of at least 30 points allowed and an inconsistent pass rush, the writing felt like it was on the wall.

Instead, Rallis’ unit turned in its best game of the year (and more) by a mile.

“They’re made of the right stuff. Those are the right guys in terms of mindset, in terms of play style,” LaFleur told reporters after the win. “We challenged them all week to try to play with clear minds so they could just go for it. Just hair on fire and just go for it.

“I thought Nick was excellent today. I thought he put them in some incredible spots. I give a lot of credit to that whole defensive staff and then the players making it come to life.”

Instead of a more conservative approach we’ve seen over the past few weeks, Rallis unleashed his creativity and brought the pressure.

Josh Sweat, Budda Baker and Walter Nolen III did the rest.

For the first time in a long time, Sweat looked more like that consistent disruptor he was just a year ago. Is the rust finally knocked off?

He still doesn’t lead the team in sacks, though. That belongs to Baker, who is up to 3.5 sacks on the year.

The safety’s coverage has been shaky this year, but his physicality hasn’t fallen off by any means.

The biggest stat from Sunday? Arizona winning the game without scoring a touchdown. Rallis and the defense deserve a ton of credit.

Bam Knight provides the spark

No Jeremiyah Love, no problem.

Despite the No. 3 overall pick sitting out this week with an ankle issue, Arizona’s struggling run game took a step forward on Sunday.

And it wasn’t because of Tyler Allgeier.

Instead, Bam Knight set the tone for Arizona’s backfield throughout Sunday’s tilt.

He averaged 5.3 yards per carry on his way to 80 yards on 15 attempts. He added two catches on two targets for 18 yards.

Knight also notched Arizona’s longest run of the year behind a 31-yard scamper.

“It felt good. I haven’t really done much from a running back perspective since the preseason. It was good to get back out there and pick up where I left off in the preseason,” Knight told reporters postgame.

If anything, Knight’s production proved he can be effective in LaFleur’s offense similar to what he was earlier in the year. And if Love has to miss any more time, or is limited in his return, Knight could very well be the guy once more.

Carson Beck waiting game likely continues

For all the people clamoring for Carson Beck to start, I’ve got some bad news:

His time on the bench likely got extended at least another week with Sunday’s win.

Brissett didn’t score any touchdowns on Sunday despite having some prime opportunities to do so, but he did help orchestrate six scoring drives (field goals or not).

That being said, the victory should not stop the team from making Beck active on game days, though.

You never know when an opportunity is going to arise for playing time (cough, late last week against Detroit, cough).

Mike LaFleur owns SoFi Stadium

Sometimes all you need is a familiar setting to turn things around. It’s clear SoFi Stadium still has some good juju for LaFleur, the former Rams offensive coordinator.

With Arizona’s win on Sunday, the Cardinals are now 2-0 at SoFi Stadium this season.

That’s more wins than both the Rams and Los Angeles Chargers, who the Cardinals took down in the season opener.

Guaranteed that wasn’t on your NFL bingo card this year!

Jalen Brooks steps up in place of Marvin Harrison Jr.

Between Jalen Brooks, Reggie Virgil and Simi Fehoko, the Cardinals have options when it comes to replacing Marvin Harrison Jr.

On Sunday, it was Brooks. Catching two of three targets for 30 yards, Brooks helped stretch the field for the offense.

He did have a glaring drop late but made a key 21-yard catch with 47 seconds remaining to put the Cardinals in prime position. A 15-yard unnecessary roughness only added to Brooks’ snag.

Four plays later, the team was walking off the field victorious following another week filled with fan frustration.

“We know how hard we work. We know how hard we strain and everything,” Brooks told reporters postgame. “We block out the noise, but essentially, we know what people are saying about us, but we know how good of a team we are and whenever we fall short, it hurts.

“But for us to battle through the ebbs and flows and just to come out on top, it’s a blessing.”

Red zone needs work

The most glaring part of Arizona’s win on Sunday? The offense’s red zone efficiency.

Yikes!

Despite making five trips into the red area, Arizona came away empty-handed from a touchdowns front. That kind of stat typically doesn’t scream “victory!”

Luckily for the Cardinals, their ineffectiveness to find paydirt was seemingly cancelled out by the Rams losing their kicker early on. Had Blake Grupe not been trucked by Devin Duvernay in the first quarter, there’s a chance the Rams exchange a turnover on downs for a field goal.

At the very least, L.A. would have had the opportunity to do so.

As LaFleur said postgame, he never wants to see six kicks in a game again — unless they are extra points.

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