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3 big takeaways from the Cardinals' loss to the Rams in London

Posted at 1:03 PM, Oct 22, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-22 16:03:27-04

The Arizona Cardinals will leave the United Kingdom with the same amount of points they had when they arrived Tuesday.

The Cards were beaten in nearly every way imaginable Sunday in their 33-0 loss to the NFC West-leading Los Angeles Rams in London. Here are three big takeaways from the defeat.

1. Palmer hurt, leaves game

The Cardinals looked on their way to being blown out even before he left, but quarterback Carson Palmer's exit late in the first half likely sealed Arizona's fate Sunday. Palmer left the game after being hit on a throw in the second quarter that resulted in an interception. He was diagnosed with a left arm injury and did not return. He completed 10 of 18 passes for 122 yards before exiting.

In his absence, backup QB Drew Stanton did not look good. He completed just 5 of 14 passes for 62 yards and an interception.

2. AP never gets going

After an incredible debut in a Cardinals uniform last week, Adrian Peterson couldn't get anything going against the Rams. For the game, Peterson ran for just 21 yards on 11 carries. His longest play of the game came on a 12-yard reception in the first quarter.

It was a surprising result considering the Rams came into Sunday's game as one of the NFL's worst defenses against the run. 

3. Cards beaten at line of scrimmage

After an outstanding outing last week, the Cardinals' offensive line reverted to its poor form Sunday. They didn't give Peterson much room to run and didn't give Palmer and Stanton much time to throw.

Conversely, the Cards had little luck getting to Rams quarterback Jared Goff or running back Todd Gurley, both of whom recorded a rushing touchdown. Gurley rushed for 106 yards, marking the first time in 20 games the Cards allowed a 100-yard rusher. Goff completed 22 of 37 passes for 235 yards and a touchdown.

With a bye week coming up, the Cardinals have an extra week to think about what went wrong and correct mistakes -- and even more importantly, give Palmer another week to get healthy before they take on the 49ers in San Francisco in two weeks.