Maybe the Arizona cardinals should have stayed on track. Cooking at home is not suitable for them.
The undefeated Cardinals returned home for the first time in a month and fell again on Monday night, losing 30-23 to the Los Angeles Rams to bolster the NFC West race.
“We need to play better at this stadium,” said Cardinals coach Cliff Kingsbury. “The crowd was great tonight. Great energy, they thought our guys played with great energy, we just didn’t play clean enough.
The road was well received in Arizona. The Cardinals held an NFL-best 10-2 record after beating Chicago last Sunday, their seventh road victory, including a Oct. 37-20 victory over the Rams.
At home, Arizona (10-3) lost two of its top five, Green Bay and Carolina. The inconvenience at home on Monday night raised his head again, allowing the Rams (9-4) to take part in the Arizona Division leader game.
“We didn’t play a clean game,” said Cardinal receiver AJ Green, who caught seven for 102 yards to take 10,000 for his career. “You can’t do that against a good team like penalties, passes, Aries.”
The Arizona defender, who finished fourth in the NFL in goals and fifth overall, did not respond to Matthew Stafford or Cooper Kupp.
Stafford separated the Cardinals, throwing 287 yards and making three touchdowns in a 23-of-30 pass. He hit Odell Beckham Jr. in a 2-yard TD in the second quarter and found Van Jefferson for a 52-yard lead early in the third quarter when the Cardinals intervened.
Stafford’s best shot of the night could have been a 4-yard TD to Kupp. Arizona defender Marco Wilson angrily threw his helmet aside.
Kupp upset the cardinals all night.
The NFL’s leading receiver was silent in the first game against Arizona, holding five assists for 64 yards. He found plenty of open spaces in the rematch, finishing with 123 yards and a career-high 13 touchdowns for TD.
“We just have to fight better,” said Cardinals defender Zach Allen. “Obviously they have great players and a great coaching staff. They are not a bad team. “
Arizona’s offense spent the night on its way.
Kayler Murray, who threw 268 yards and two TDs in the first game against Los Angeles, put up big numbers to make big mistakes.
He threw 383 yards and ran another 61 yards, but there was no touch and a pair of obstacles. Both selections, both in triple passes, were followed by blows in Los Angeles.
“Only a couple will play there and there,” Murray said. “We struggled, we were there when we needed to, but we didn’t create the big games we created.”
Even despite all the mistakes, Arizona had the final blow.
James Connor was the Cardinals ’best offensive weapon of the night, capturing nine passes for 91 yards and scoring twice on the ground. At the start of the fourth quarter, Arizona ran an 8-yard run through a series of collisions between 27-20.
After Matt Gay scored in the 33-yard line, Arizona’s Matt Prater hit the Cardinals in the third of the night, scoring 49 yards in the third.
The Cardinals won the game they needed and restored the shot from the sidelines.
Then they went back.
Murray canceled the 15-meter run by holding on to Sean Harlow, and a penalty that started incorrectly in the next game forced Arizona to despair in the final zone.
The cardinals never had a chance. Murray escaped several fighters, but when time ran out, Aaron couldn’t escape Donald because he ran an 18-yard sack when time ran out.
“I thought we would go down there and score a goal. That was thinking, ”Green said. “We kept throwing ourselves at our feet.”
The good news: The Cardinals are on their way next week, in sad Detroit.
___
Additional AP NFL coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl and https://twitter.com/AP_NFL
