The Rams have been here before.

In fact, being depleted in the desert is kind of their calling card…against the Cards.

Remember back in 2018, when C.J. Anderson hopped off the couch and stepped in for Todd Gurley, rushing for 167 yards and a touchdown in a 31-9 blowout of Arizona? That helped the Rams snap a two-game skid.

Or how about that miraculous Monday in 2021, when a roster already without running back Darrell Henderson, corner Donte Deayon, and right tackle Rob Havenstein woke up to learn that tight end Tyler Higbee and star defensive back Jalen Ramsey would also be COVID scratches for a primetime date with the NFC West-leading Cardinals? Robert Woods had recently torn his ACL. The Rams had dropped three of their last four games.

I got a kick out of looking back on some of the names that played for the Rams that night: Juju Hughes, Mekhi Sargent, Antoine Brooks Jr., Jamir Jones, Kareem Orr.

Didn't matter.

Sean McVay and the Rams found a way.

Well, here they are again – heading to Arizona, cobbling together a game day roster that's going to look much different than the one that broke training camp together.

But it's hardly a stretch to suggest that if this is going to become a championship season –like those Super Bowl runs of 2018 and 2021 – a win in Glendale is a necessary first step.

Mean Regression

Math is mean. The injury bug is worse.

Los Angeles had zero red zone turnovers last season. Matthew Stafford put up 17 touchdowns against no interceptions; throws a pick in the end zone before halftime of Week One.

The Rams had the healthiest offensive line in the NFL last season. By halftime, right guard Kevin Dotson was the only depth chart starter still in his designated place up front.

It was too good to last forever, but dealing with regression made for quite a hangover on Monday morning following a 4:00 a.m. arrival at LAX.

What can the Rams do next? That's part of what we discussed on Thursday's Between the Horns.

Running Ragged

With cunning and savvy and grit, McVay, Stafford, and Cooper Kupp almost willed the Rams to the finish line.

It was astonishing. And it's entirely unsustainable.

In fact, the most reassuring thing I heard in the aftermath of Sunday's overtime loss was the head coach vowing not to repeat the mistakes of 2022. What he meant was earnest and weighty, far more in-depth than what I'm about to lay out. And I respect it.

But purely from a usage standpoint, let's state facts:

Stafford cannot lead the NFL in pass attempts (as he did last week), especially not behind the offensive line as currently configured, or this season could be lights out before it gets off the launch pad.

Similarly, Kupp cannot run nearly 500 yards pre-snap every week. He can't get 21 targets, either, no matter how much your fantasy football team would love to see it.

However, according to NFL Pro, the Cardinals allowed a league-high 0.13 EPA per dropback last season when their opponents used any kind of motion or shift before the snap. So, the Rams still will lean heavily into this identity. They just need to diversify the personnel being asked to implement it.

Wide Receiver Depth

Thankfully, this might be the deepest receiver room they've assembled under McVay.

I really enjoyed the perspective Tyler Johnson brought to Rams Revealed this week. He's been laboring behind the scenes for three years since winning a Super Bowl with Tom Brady and the Bucs as a rookie. Now he, Tutu Atwell, and rookie Jordan Whittington are going to get every opportunity to fill Puka Nacua's cleats.

Maserati In the Garage

Compare Kupp's usage to that of Marvin Harrison, Jr.

Kyler Murray and the Cardinals are taking a ton of flack this week for how they failed to utilize the first non-quarterback drafted this spring. Some of that criticism is undeserved, though his GPS tracking data indicated a severe lack of acceleration, confidence, or both?

Nonetheless, it's easy to forecast an immediate correction on Sunday.

"Obviously we want to get him more touches, that's no secret," Murray told the media this week.

"I don't think we're in a bad place right now at all," the rookie wide out added.

Let's see what plan the Rams have to match up with Maserati Marv.

Ground and Pound

I'm a big believer in continuity and coaching over all other offensive line factors. Time on task matters as much or more than talent.

So whatever five offensive linemen the Rams trot out to face Arizona, if they can remain intact, they'll inevitably have a better shot of not just protecting Stafford but establishing some traditional running game.

Unsurprisingly given the state of their front five, the Rams gained just 66 yards and averaged 3.8 yards per carry on standard handoffs (not jet sweeps) against the Lions.

To refresh our memories a bit, the downhill identity the Rams established in 2023 and leveraged to smashing results – it sprouted from two games against the Arizona Cardinals.

In Week 6 at SoFi Stadium, L.A. came out of the halftime locker room with eight straight running plays. Kyren Williams trampled the Cardinals defense for a career-high 158 yards rushing and a touchdown.

Unfortunately, he injured his ankle that day, but upon his return, he put another career-high 204 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns on them at State Farm Stadium in Glendale in Week 12.

Again, if offensive line coach Ryan Wendell and offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur and McVay can get practice reps and four quarters of stability on Sunday, I like their chances. The Cardinals allowed a league-high 143.2 rushing yards per game in 2023, and the Bills opened 2024 with 130 rushing yards and a pair of rushing touchdowns against them in Week 1.

Caving in Kyler

For five years, the Rams have had Kyler Murray's kryptonite.

He'd play MVP-caliber football for solid stretches…and then Aaron Donald would enter his life.

Well, AD99 isn't walking through that door on Sunday afternoon. But against maybe the best offensive line in the league in Detroit, an eager group of young pass rushers showed they might be ready to kick that door down.

According to NFL Pro, Jared Verse generated six pressures and a sack on just 23 pass rushes against the Lions. That 26.1% pressure rate is the fourth-highest by any rookie in Week One since 2018, trailing only Nick Bosa, teammate Byron Young, and Will Anderson. Verse aligned exclusively over left tackle against the Lions, which makes for a terrific matchup against Cardinals left tackle Paris Johnson Jr., who allowed just one pressure in Buffalo.

They're Due, and They're Dangerous

I'm not oblivious to the trends. I'm just choosing to ignore them for the next 48 hours.

These Cardinals are much better than their eight-game losing streak in divisional games, longest active in the NFL. This is not the group that's yet to beat McVay's Rams on their home grass.

In Murray, Harrison, ascendant tight end Trey McBride, and punishing back James Conner (third in rushing since the start of last season), the Cardinals have firepower. They're better equipped and better coached than they've been for most of the McVay Era.

Watching them go to Orchard Park and build a 17-3 lead with authority confirmed all my concerns about the Cardinals being a tough out. The Rams will have to play very well to earn their first win and send Arizona to 0-2.

Best of the Rest

Whereas the Cardinals were winless in division games last season, the Rams went 5-1 in the NFC West. Here's what's left in my notebook heading into Week 2.

That overtime defeat in Detroit was one of the most impressive losses of my time with the organization. In some ways, I liken it to the overtime loss in Baltimore last December. But here's the thing about moral victories: They have a maximum shelf life of seven days. The good vibes from a bitter defeat don't mean a thing unless you cash them in for a real win the next chance you get.

First-time defensive coordinator Chris Shula was ready. He and his staff met the moment.

For an organization that doesn't often participate in early free agency windows, the Rams have to be glad they invested in safety Kamren Curl and tight end Colby Parkinson. Those both look like astute signings for position groups that really needed their contributions.

Nice start for Joshua Karty. (phew)

I got a lot of "take the points" comments in the aftermath of the Rams failing on fourth down in the second quarter against the Lions. No way. Though a field goal try would have been identical to the 41-yarder Karty had already hit, this was fourth and four (whereas the prior decision had been fourth and 14). With a rookie at kicker and a future Hall of Famer at quarterback, that's a green light go-for-it. And this was before the Rams lost Joe Noteboom and Steve Avila to injury. Kudos to McVay for making the correct decision there. Unfortunate that Kupp dropped it.

Dating back to last season, Stafford now has four straight 300-yard passing performances. That's the longest active streak, per NFL research. He hasn't had a five-game span in well over a decade.

With a rushing score on Sunday, Williams would extend his streak to five games, which would be one short of Marshall Faulk's franchise record streak of six games (2001-02).

With a sack, Byron Young would become the first Ram to record a sack in four consecutive regular season games since Von Miller and Aaron Donald accomplished the feat in 2021.

With a sack, Jared Verse would become only the second Rams rookie to record at least 1.0 sack in his first two regular season games. Kyle Borland did it in 1987, shortly after sacks became an official statistic.

ESPN modeling expected the Cardinals to allow the most points in the NFL this season, as they have over the prior two-year span. They yielded 23 first downs, 6.1 yards per play, and 34 points to the Bills.

Question: Which three Rams have returned Kyler Murray interceptions for touchdowns?

Answer: Taylor Rapp (2019), Troy Hill (2020), and David Long, Jr. (2021 Wild Card).

Watching the West

While the Rams are scouring for their first win in the sands of Phoenix, the two other division rivals will be on the road facing a pair of pleasant surprises from Week One.

Before making their way to SoFi Stadium next Sunday, the 49ers (1-0) are in Minneapolis to face their backup from last season, Sam Darnold.

And while Seattle (1-0) got a home game against a rookie signal-caller in their opener, it doesn't diminish the debut for Mike Macdonald's defense, which surrendered just 3.3 yards per play and earned three takeaways against the Broncos. Now an important road trip to New England and a chance to start 2-0, knowing the Dolphins, Lions and Niners are soon to follow on their schedule.