The Los Angeles Rams are favored by more points against the Arizona Cardinals this week than they have been in any game this season. They've owned the Cardinals over the years and have some serious advantages over their division rival heading into this game.
Here are five matchups that will decide Sunday's game, with the top two having a particularly big impact on the outcome.
DB Quentin Lake vs. TE Trey McBride
Lake is coming off a rough game against the Bills where he gave up 81 yards and a touchdown in coverage, and was also flagged for pass interference. He'll need to bounce back against one of the best tight ends in the game, McBride. McBride is always Jacoby Brissett's favorite target and he sees a lot of short, quick passes thrown his way, so Lake will need to be aggressive.
It's likely the Rams will use Trent McDuffie on McBride, too, but most of the time, it'll be Lake.
CB Jaylen Watson vs. WR Michael Wilson
Watson is a good defender to put on the 6-foot-2 Wilson, who's a big and physical receiver on the outside. McDuffie is on the shorter side and moves around the defensive formation, whereas Watson is exclusively a boundary corner.
Watson picked off Josh Allen once last week and nearly had another interception later on, so he's coming off the best game of his Rams tenure thus far. If the Rams can eliminate McBride and Wilson, the Cardinals won't have many other options.
LT David Quessenberry vs. OLB Josh Sweat
Quessenberry will be thrust into the starting lineup on Sunday because of Alaric Jackson's one-game suspension. Fortunately, he's facing a team with very little pass-rush talent, but Sweat can still get after the quarterback. Look for the Cardinals to go after Quessenberry early and test his blocking skills in what will be his first start since 2023 with the Vikings.
WR Davante Adams vs. CB Denzel Burke
Burke is almost exclusively an outside corner, so he'll see plenty of Adams on Sunday. This is a major mismatch that favors Adams. Burke has allowed the second-most yards (168) of any Cardinals defender and allows a 91.9 passer rating in coverage.
Puka Nacua is going to win most of his matchups, but if Adams can consistently get open against Burke, it'll lead to points.
OLB Byron Young vs. RT Elijah Wilkinson
Wilkinson has allowed a team-high 13 pressures this season and has the worst run-blocking grade of any Cardinals lineman. Young should be licking his chops heading into this matchup because it's one that certainly favors him. Look for Young to have another big game as the Rams' top edge rusher for at least another game before Myles Garrett returns in the near future.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: 5 matchups that will decide Rams vs. Cardinals in Week 6
