Sunday 22nd October
ARIZONA CARDINALS vs LOS ANGELES RAMS
@ Twickenham Stadium 6:00pm
The 3rd of this seasons international games will again take place in London but we leave the delights of Wembley and move about 10 miles south to Twickenham Stadium and continues the four game series which has been shared between Wembley and Twickenham stadiums once again. Another sell out crowd is expected for these popular matches and kick off will be at the later time of 6pm.
Current season record Arizona Cardinals
- P6 W3 L3 F119 A158
Los Angeles Rams
- P6 W4 L2 F179 A138
Another excellent match up for our third UK game with Arizona taking on the LA Rams. With both teams winning last weekend it's the LA Rams who are starting to take some sort of control over the NFC West division and this match up might help one of them make fist of trying to win the division. Certainly if the LA Rams win it will take them to 5-2 and open up a bit of game at the head of this division. The Cardinals will now have running back Adrian Peterson playing for them having been traded in after not making the starting line up at the New Orleans Saints, the 32 year old Peterson should give Arizona some more offensive options and provides plenty of experience too. The Rams seem a bit more free scoring than their opponents yet neither side have a watertight defense so it might be a high scoring game that can entertain the packed Twickenham stadium. The averages per game suggest that a Total points score of around 42-46 could be surpassed and also if we can back the half time score over a mark of say 21-23 points this could be of interest at the moment we wait to see what the markets predict.
For those of you not coming to Twickenham this Sunday afternoon sadly there is no LIVE terrestrial action in UK but is probably on Sky or you can try and find a stream (it was shown live via Yahoo.com and the NFL.com sites last time) however there is still a highlights program to enjoy on the BBC1 on Sunday night 23:30 and the fourth game between Minnesota Vikings and Cleveland Browns WILL be shown LIVE on BBC next weekend. Not to be missed is the excellent NFL Show with Jason Bell and Osi Umenyiora together with host Mark Chapman which is on all season twice a week on the BBC but as times tend to vary best to check the schedules.
On Monday we had the sad news that Former basketball coach and long-time Sky Sports NFL presenter Kevin Cadle has died at the age of 62 and a tribute to Kevin will be made before the start of the game this evening.
Enjoy the game and have an exciting evening.
1st Quarter;
Greg Zuerlein gets the game underway here at Twickenham for the LA Rams, returned to the 21yd line and the Cardinals have the first play. New signing Adrian Peterson is in the action straight away and they are quickly up into the Rams half with the opening drive under quarterback Carson Palmer. The Rams take an early timeout with the Cards on their 20yd line now but they manage to prevent the touchdown forcing 4th down, the resulting 32yd field goal attempt by Phil Dawson is missed, so we still all square and the LA Rams take over on their own 22yd line.
The Rams opening drive also finds them quickly into Cardinals territory and they manage a 3rd and long and take it up to the 4yd line where Jared Goff is unable to find a receiver and the Rams settle for a Zuerlein 23yd Field Goal to go 3-0 ahead. Arizona find no luck on their next drive and have to punt and as the first quarter comes to a close the Rams find themselves having to punt it away too.
Both teams have had clear chances to score but it's the Rams who lead 3-0.
2nd Quarter;
Arizona have the ball again starting on their 25yd line, and are short of a first down once more so another punt clearance to the Rams 34yd line and they quickly advance to the half way line looking to increase their advantage early in the 2Q. Tavon Austin runs for 17 yards into Cardinals territory and further penalties means they are up to the 25yd line in sight of the goal line again, but it's another frustrating sequence of failed passes and they again turn to the reliable boot of Greg Zuerlein from 33yds to go 6-0.
Cardinals QB Carson Palmer is having a bad day here in London and throws an interception which ultimately results in a Rams Touchdown from Todd Gurley, the point after is good making it 13-0 with about five minutes left in the half.
Drew Stanton comes in for the disappointing Palmer and converts a 4th down and 1 to start the Cardinals move to put some points on the board this half but alas cannot keep them moving and they punt away, plus a penalty, means the Rams are on their own 12yd line with the two-minute warning due and the half time coming to an end. But that doesn't stop Jared Goff from launching a few passes to Todd Gurley and the superbly named Cooper Kupp and they are in the Arizona red zone with a little over a minute on the clock and no more time outs available. Jared Goff takes it 8yds into the end zone himself for another touchdown and it's 20-0.
You think it surely cannot get worse this half for Arizona but their very next play by Drew Stanton who passes short right intended for Jaron Brown and it's INTERCEPTED by Mark Barron at the Arizona 38yd line and the Rams look set to increase their lead again but settle for another field goal to go 23-0 at halftime.
H/T Score; ARIZONA CARDINALS 0 -- 23 LOS ANGELES RAMS.
3rd Quarter;
Half time over and the Rams turn to receive the kick off where Jared Goff wastes little time in moving up the field again, they seem unstoppable. Only takes the Rams 10 plays and they are in the red zone again a few penalties have helped things but Jared Goff seems to have it all happening here in Twickenham, alas again gets stopped and has to settle for another 34yd field goal. Right now you cannot see how the Arizona Cardinals will even score at all let alone win and their next drive ends early with another punt to the LA Rams 32yd line but a penalty means they have to begin from their 15yd line.
Finally the Cards get some fortune with a big interception from Deone Bucannon for 40yds and another big play takes them up to the red zone for the first time this half, alas they concede more penalties causing a 1st and 25 as the 3rd Quarter comes to an end.
4th Quarter;
The final quarter begins with the Cardinals in possession on the Rams 42yd line but it's those penalties that hurt cos they cannot get moving and are even out of field goal range now, have to punt it away and they are facing a shut out here.
The Rams keep running the ball down the field thus taking plenty of time off the clock and also prevent the Cardinals having any sort of chances. This drive lasts for 16 plays and takes over ten minutes off the time resulting in a touchdown pass to Cooper Kupp (18yds).
The final nail in the coffin for Arizona takes place on their next effort, despite a good advance to the half way line they manage to fumble the ball and although recovered it's 4th down where they fail to make it count and hand the ball over to the Rams again. I think they will be glad to see the back of London tonight.
F/T Score; ARIZONA CARDINALS 0 -- 33 LOS ANGELES RAMS.
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