Los Angeles Rams

5 Takeaways From Los Angeles Rams Week 4 Win Over Arizona Cardinals

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Oct 2, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Rams defensive end Eugene Sims (97) reacts after recovering a fumble against the Arizona Cardinals during the second half at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Rams won 17-13. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

Here’s five takeaways from the Los Angeles Rams during their Week 4 win over the Arizona Cardinals.

If there were any doubters for the Los Angeles Rams heading into Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals, it’s safe to say those doubters have quickly become believers.

In what turned out to be one of the wildest endings from Week 4, the Rams made a huge statement by coming up with a 17-13 win on the road over the Cardinals to remain on top of the NFC West with the Seattle Seahawks. With the win, Los Angeles improved to 3-1 on the season, but the most important thing to take away from the win is this team deserves to be in consideration for being a contender in the NFC.

After the defense played a key role in helping the team win seven games in 2015, everybody knew that was most likely going to be the team’s best chance of finding similar success this season. The only thing that seemed to be holding Los Angeles back from reaching the next level was the poor play of the offense, and thanks to a few key players stepping it up in the passing game, the Rams are doing just enough to get by thanks to the help on defense.

While this team still has a long way to go when it comes to proving themselves, it’s difficult not to be excited about this team when looking at how well they performed against the Cardinals. With the team entering Week 5 on a hot streak, here’s a look at five takeaways from Los Angeles during their win over Arizona on Sunday.

Oct 2, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Brian Quick (83) catches a touchdown as Arizona Cardinals defensive back Marcus Cooper (41) defends during the second half at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Brian Quick is Heating Up

One of the biggest surprises from the 53-man roster at the beginning of the season was the decision by the Rams to keep Brian Quick on board. While the decision most likely came down to the health of other wide receivers like Nelson Spruce and Pharoh Cooper, fans were unhappy to see one of the spots taken up by Quick when considering how much of a disappointment he was over the previous four seasons.

With that being said, it’s safe to say fans are no longer questioning the decision by Jeff Fisher to keep Quick when looking at the type of impact he’s made over the last two games, but the wideout still has a long way to go when it comes to proving himself.

Quick has made quite the impact in the passing game over the last two weeks with three touchdowns–two of which came on Sunday against the Cardinals. The three touchdowns already match a career high for Quick, and here’s to hoping the wideout can continue staying hot for Los Angeles over the next couple of weeks.

Otherwise, Rams fans are just going to continue to be frustrated over Quick, and his inability to stay consistent.

Oct 2, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley (30) is tackled by Arizona Cardinals outside linebacker Markus Golden (44) and outside linebacker Chandler Jones (55) during the first half at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Struggles Continue For Todd Gurley

Expectations were high for Todd Gurley heading into his second season with the Los Angeles Rams, and rightfully so when considering the former first-round pick took home Rookie of the Year honors in 2015. Gurley seemed to be taking a step in the right direction after finding the end zone twice in Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the running back picked up right where he left off with the struggles against the Cardinals on Sunday.

As if finishing with just 33 rushing yards wasn’t already frustrating enough, it should be noted these numbers came on 19 carries, which means Gurley averaged a disappointing 1.7 yards per carry against Arizona. While it’s understandable to see defenders stocking the box more when considering the weak receiving corps of the Rams, nobody could have predicted Gurley would struggle this much early in the season.

On a positive note, at least Los Angeles is sitting on top of the NFC West with a 3-1 record, despite the early-season struggles by Gurley at running back. If the Rams can win when the running back is struggling this much, just think about the possibilities when he finally gets rolling in the ground game.

Oct 2, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson (31) carries the ball as Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald (99) defends during the first half at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Five Turnovers On Defense

It’s amazing to think the Rams ranked near the bottom of the league in offense during the 2015 season, but still found a way to finish with a 7-9 record. Obviously, the main reason behind the team’s success was due to the defense, and even though the offense has show signs of improvement over the last two games, it’s going to be the defense that carries this team once again in 2016.

The Rams’ defense knew the Cardinals was going to be their toughest challenge yet when considering all of the weapons they have on offense. Luckily, Los Angeles came up big when it mattered the most after forcing five turnovers on Arizona, including a key forced fumble by Aaron Donald–who recorded 1.5 sacks in the win–in the third quarter when Carson Palmer and company were driving deep in Rams’ territory.

When looking at how well this defense has performed against two high-powered offenses in the Cardinals and Seattle Seahawks, this defensive squad could end up being better than last year, which says a lot. As long as they continue being aggressive towards their opponents, the Rams’ defense should finish near the top of the league once again in 2016.

Oct 2, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin (11) carries the ball during the second half against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Tavon Austin’s Key Punt Return

The Rams invested a ton of money into Tavon Austin during the offseason, and even though his inconsistency is frustrating at times, Sunday was the perfect example of the type of threat he can be with the football.

Austin may have only finished the game with two catches for 14 yards, but his 47-yard punt return to the Arizona 34 late in the fourth quarter put Los Angeles in the perfect position to tie the game or take the lead. Five plays later, Case Keenum found Quick in the end zone on a four-yard touchdown that would end up being the deciding factor in the 17-13 win.

His numbers may not always be impressive, but this punt return by Austin was one of a few reasons why the team was able to leave Arizona with a win on Sunday. Without Austin’s return, chances are the Rams wouldn’t have been able to score when considering they had been shutout the entire half leading up to that drive.

Last year, Austin proved to be a threat at multiple positions, and even though this return failed to result in a touchdown, the field position took some of the pressure off Keenum and the rest of the Rams’ offense on a drive that ended up being the difference maker.

Oct 2, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Case Keenum (17) celebrates after defeating the Arizona Cardinals 17-13 at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA TODAY Sports

Case Keenum Continues to Carry Offense

There was plenty of uncertainty surrounding Keenum after his opening weekend performance against the 49ers, but the quarterback has played a key role in the team’s three-game winning streak since then.

His numbers may not be up there with some of the most elite quarterbacks in the league, but it’s hard to ignore the type of effort shown by Keenum over the last three games. From leading the offense to four touchdowns in Week 3 against the Buccaneers to his ability to keep plays alive against the Cardinals, Keenum is proving that Fisher made the right decision to go with him as the starter over Jared Goff.

Fisher knew Keenum would be the best option for this team in 2016 when considering the team was talented enough to be contenders, and that decision seems to be paying off so far. If there’s anything to take away from Los Angeles over the last three games, it would be Keenum is doing just enough on offense to help this team get by on a weekly basis.

Even if he isn’t the team’s answer for the long run, at least Keenum is making a strong case for why one of the other 31 teams should consider bringing the quarterback on board in the future.