Rams can’t handle Cardinals and Kyler Murray

INGLEWOOD — The Rams had rapidly got utilized to seeing Matthew Stafford ignite a slow-starting offense, oregon coolly pb a come-from-behind victory, oregon walk his caller teams to aboriginal leads and request nary dramatics astatine all.

It felt arsenic if that magic could past each season.

It didn’t past a month.

Losing 37-20 to the Arizona Cardinals successful beforehand of 70,003 fans astatine SoFi Stadium connected Sunday, the Rams fell for the archetypal clip successful the Stafford epoch arsenic their caller backmost and their defence were outplayed by Cardinals backmost Kyler Murray.

Leading by 11 astatine halftime, the Cardinals (4-0) added James Conner’s 2nd touchdown tally of the day successful the 3rd 4th and stopped the Rams (3-1) astatine the extremity enactment successful the 4th to propulsion distant successful the teams’ NFC West opener.

The Rams had fallen down by treble digits for the archetypal clip this play erstwhile the Cardinals took a 21-10 pb connected a 1-yard tally by Conner aboriginal successful the 2nd 4th and made it 24-13 connected a Matt Prater tract extremity conscionable earlier halftime.

The Conner touchdown came six plays aft a fumble by moving backmost Sony Michel gave the Cardinals the shot astatine the Rams’ 21.

The Cardinals’ archetypal touchdown had travel six plays aft a heavy walk by Stafford toward wide receiver DeSean Jackson was intercepted by cornerback Byron Murphy, Stafford’s 2nd interception of the season.

But that Cardinals drive, which covered 87 yards, was little astir Stafford making an underthrow than Murray looking spectacular. On 3rd down and 6 astatine the Rams’ 42, Murray deed A.J. Green down cornerback David Long for a 41-yard drawback and tally to the extremity zone. That enactment the Rams down for the archetypal clip astatine 7-3.

The Rams responded and took a 10-7 lead. Darrell Henderson, returning from a rib injury, and Michel ran the shot to the Cardinals’ 14. Then Stafford rolled near and recovered Van Jefferson successful the extremity portion for the touchdown.

But Murray topped Stafford connected the adjacent series, completing each 7 of his passes for 57 yards, the past 14 connected a perfectly lofted walk to choky extremity Maxx Williams implicit linebacker Kenny Young and distant from Long.

Murray finished with 24 completions successful 32 attempts for 268 yards, 2 touchdowns and nary interceptions, positive 39 yards connected six carries.

Stafford had his archetypal subpar crippled with the Rams, going 26 for 41 for 280 yards, 2 touchdowns and 1 interception.

Stafford, doubly the NFC Offensive Player of the Week already this season, couldn’t marque accordant connections this clip with wide receiver Cooper Kupp, the conference’s Offensive Player of the Month for September.

He completed a 14-yard touchdown walk to Robert Woods with 1:14 to play.

The past 2 years, the Rams ran their winning streak against the Cardinals to 8 games by stopping Murray from moving and forcing him to pass.

That didn’t enactment Sunday, erstwhile helium was the champion backmost connected the field.