Rams vs. Cardinals: NFC West shake up opens the door

So, about those undefeated Arizona Cardinals...

I actually picked the Rams to win this one, so I am not exactly shocked by the outcome. While I don't think this answers many questions about the Cardinals, it does tell us that the St. Louis Rams are going to be a force to reckon with at home. While the Redskins, Seahawks and Cardinals are not exactly top of the line teams, I think we can safely say the Rams are going to be a tough team this season in the Edward Jones Dome.

The Rams third home win improves them to 3-2 overall and they now sit a half game back of the 49ers. If the 49ers beat the Bills on Sunday, we will have a tie for first with the Rams a game back. The Seahawks travel to Carolina to face the Panthers, which will be a tough one for them. Of course, given how the season has gone we can't really underestimate anybody in the NFC West.

As for the Cardinals? Well, I think most people were hesitant to equate them with the Falcons and Texans. The key for them will be how they bounce back, or even if they bounce back. They host Buffalo next week, but then have a three-game stretch heading into their bye that could make or break their season. The Cardinals travel to Minnesota, host the 49ers and then travel to Green Bay. I suppose the post-bye stretch could be the difference-maker if they drop most of that three-game stretch, but either way they need to rebound if they are going to stay in the NFC West race.

The 49ers travel to Arizona for Monday Night Football at the end of the month, have their bye week and then host the St. Louis Rams in Week 10. The 49ers travel to St. Louis on December 2, so we'll have to wait and see if the Rams can maintain this strong home run.