Thursday kicks off the weekend fun-filled of pigskin and although there are not many heavyweight battles, this NFC West contest could surprise us quite a bit.
One of the best defenses in the NFL is led by Darnell Dockett, Quentin Groves and Patrick Peterson. Peterson has carried this team defensively in the secondary but everybody was torched last week by Brian Hartline of the Dolphins.
Miami’s Ryan Tannehill threw for over 400 yards, which is way too much for a defense like Arizona. Sam Bradford may not have the Dolphins offensive line to do too much in the pocket under pressure, but the receivers and targets are every bit as good.
While Hartline has lightning quick speed, Danny Amendola is much tougher to defend in the slot thanks to great hands in traffic. Steven Jackson (groin) may become a game-time decision although he has a knack for getting the job done against physical defenses.
Even dinged up, the star back has the burst ability to go bonkers on the edge assuming they are not trailing by double figures in this one.
While everybody knows about the Arizona defense, St. Louis is not far behind thanks to James Laurinaitis, Cortland Finnegan and Chris Long.
The three have been carrying this team at each level of the defense, which has taken a ton of pressure off the offense.
Kevin Kolb meanwhile threw for over 300 yards as Andre Roberts (not Fitz) is currently tied for TD in the NFL with 3. Taking some of the pressure off Larry Fitzgerald could allow Ryan Williams to finally have a solid day.
If they cannot run the ball, then Kolb could be prone to a few mistakes giving the top placekicker in the NFL plenty of opportunities to win this close contest.
Yes, Greg Zuerlein is his name and he is 12-for-12 on the season for the home underdogs.
- Photo: Tom Gannam / AP
Network: NFL Network
Time: 8:30 p.m. Eastern
Experts Pick: AZ by 1.5
Danny V’s Pick: Rams 23, Cardinals 17
