Cardinals pick apart NFC West rival Rams through air

GLENDALE, Ariz. - The Cardinals didn't spend much time with their chins on their chests after last week's loss in Philadelphia. Coach Bruce Arians snapped their heads up with a blunt speech early in the week.

He pointed his team forward by reminding it of the past: eight consecutive losses in the NFC West, a streak that stretched back to the first game of 2012.

It was time to end it this week, Arians said, against the Rams at University of Phoenix Stadium.

"I can't use the words he used," linebacker Karlos Dansby said. "My mom would get at me if I did that."

That losing streak ended in emphatic fashion on Sunday. The Cardinals dominated the Rams, 30-10, and at 8-5 stayed in contention for a wild-card playoff spot.

"We're really pleased that that monkey is off our back," Arians said, "and you guys can write about something else now."

Reporters weren't the only ones who used the streak for an angle last week. Arians did, too, and admitted after the game that it came in pretty handy.

"It gave us a common goal from Monday all the way to today and now," he said.

Beating the Rams (5-8) is a more attainable goal than defeating the Seahawks and 49ers, which the Cardinals will need to do over the final three weeks of the season. But the Cardinals faced challenges this week, too.

Quarterback Carson Palmer suffered a right elbow injury against the Eagles and didn't throw a pass all last week.

He had every reason to come out ice cold on Sunday. Instead, he completed 27 of 32 passes for 269 yards and a touchdown. His completion percentage of 84.4 percent was the second best in franchise history (Kurt Warner holds NFL record with 92.3). Palmer completed 16 of 17 passes in the first half as the Cardinals built a 14-3 lead.

"I think the rest did him well," Arians said. "This was exactly the performance that we needed."

If not throwing all week contributed to Sunday's performance, then Palmer might have hit upon a practice regimen for the rest of the season. That's not his style, however, and Palmer declined several opportunities to make his efforts sound heroic.

He credited his offensive line, which allowed just one sack, and athletic trainer Tom Reed and his staff, who developing a plan for the week that would allow him to play against the Rams.

"I felt great all day," he said. "When Tom told me I'd be fine, that I just needed to stick with what he was saying. What they said was going to happen today happened."

Receiver Larry Fitzgerald caught 12 passes, a season high, gained 96 yards and scored his 10th touchdown of the season.

Fitzgerald's longest catch was 19 yards, and that came on the game's first play.

But seven of the receptions went for first downs, including four on third downs, and many of them came in rush-hour traffic.

Like Palmer, Fitzgerald deflected questions about his accomplishments.

"It was a big point of emphasis this week to try to get this win," Fitzgerald said. "To lose as many games as we lost in this division, quite frankly is embarrassing. It was a step in the right direction for us."

The Cardinals would have led by more at halftime, but a fumble into the end zone by tight end Jim Dray cost them one score.

The Cardinals defense dominated the third quarter, scoring nine points and siphoning much of the life out of the Rams.

The touchdown came on the second play when quarterback Kellen Clemens, under pressure from end Calais Campbell, threw to the flat. Dansby stepped in front of the receiver, caught the ball and returned it 23 yards for the score.

It was the second touchdown in the past two home games for Dansby, who has four in his career.

Punter Dave Zastudil set up the next score with a 54-yard kick that was downed at the 1. On third down, outside linebacker John Abraham looped to the inside and tackled Clemens in the end zone.

That sack, one of three on the day for Abraham, gave the Cardinals a 23-3 lead midway through the quarter.

"Just whip everybody in front of him," Arians replied when asked what Abraham, 35, has done well this season. "We're just going to keep letting him go."

The victory did come with a price. Rookie safety Tyrann Mathieu likely is out for the rest of the season because of a knee injury returning the kick after the safety. An ACL tear is feared.

"He's been bawling since he's got the news," cornerback Jerraud Powers said. "It's definitely a blow to us."

As much as Arians likes Mathieu, it's not the coach's style to bemoan losing a key player. He will move on to this week and the next game: against the Titans in Nashville.

The theme for that game is set.

"It's going back to winning on the road," Arians said. "We'll start that commitment right away."

Somers also writes for The Arizona Republic in Phoenix.