The Arizona Cardinals pulled off an 18-16 shocker against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, but the real story? Their defense actually showed up. After getting absolutely torched for 30-plus points in four straight games, Nick Rallis’s squad slammed the door on Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford, holding them to a paltry 16 points and just 286 yards of total offense with only three scoring drives. This was the defensive effort Arizona had been desperately needing for a long, long time.
Rallis Went For It, And It Paid Off
Look, everyone knew Cardinals defensive coordinator Nick Rallis was under the microscope. His defense hasn’t exactly been tearing it up. Despite the scrutiny, there were no big shifts in playcalling duties or personnel this week. Instead, the “changes” were more internal. Turns out, “internal” meant Rallis dialing up a whole new level of aggression. He took risks, major risks. Rallis blitzed a season-high 13 times, throwing all kinds of variant front-seven looks at Stafford. And holy smokes, it worked.
The Cardinals sacked Stafford three times for a combined loss of 28 yards, hitting him seven times total. Per PFF, 10 different Cardinals players had at least one pressure, with four guys getting multiple pressures. They forced two fumbles , heck, three if you count the two-point conversion attempt , and basically lived in the Rams’ backfield. Los Angeles only managed 92 rushing yards, and not a single Rams receiver broke 100 yards. Mike LaFleur, who was the Rams offensive coordinator in 2024 and remembers what it was like to face a top Rallis defense, said Sunday’s performance was “reminiscent of what I felt like I saw in ’24.” He wasn’t wrong. It was a completely different beast out there.
The Playmakers Answered the Call
Schematic differences aside, this game was also about the players making plays. You know, the stuff they’ve been struggling with lately. But Sunday? Different story. Josh Sweat was flying around with four tackles and a sack. Darius Robinson got in Stafford’s face with two hits. And then there’s Budda Baker. The dude was an all-field menace. Six tackles, three pressures, a sack, two tackles for loss, and a pass defended. Rallis even unleashed Baker as a pass rusher seven times. Talk about putting your best guys in a position to win!
LaFleur summed it up perfectly, saying their “play style was awesome.” He saw “11 as one,” “cleats in the ground,” and guys “working together in unison.” Baker himself gave props to both the gameplan and the improved execution, saying it gave guys “an opportunity for guys to just play fast and that’s what the guys did.”
This wasn’t just a win, it was a statement. After weeks of defensive woes, the Cardinals finally showed a glimpse of what they can be when the coaching staff takes bold risks and the players execute with clear minds and high energy. If they can build on this, take this newfound swagger into the next few weeks, then every team on their schedule better be ready. Because the defense that showed up on Sunday is not the one we’ve been watching, and that’s a problem for the rest of the league.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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