GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Observed and heard in the locker room after the St. Louis Rams' 31-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals:
Game-changer: Rams tight end Lance Kendricks' 15-yard penalty for an illegal blindside block in the third quarter drew plenty of postgame comments from all over the Rams' locker room. According to coach Jeff Fisher, the rule on the play is that a defender has the right to be protected if the blocker has his back to his own end line. In other words, if the defender is turning up the field to pursue the ball, he can be protected.
While Fisher said he was unsure of where Kendricks was on the play, Kendricks said he was certain that he had his back to the Rams' sideline when he hit safety Tony Jefferson. The call led to a sequence of events wherein Arizona was able to seize momentum and score the game's final 21 points.
A big slip: The first seven of those points came on a 48-yard touchdown pass from Drew Stanton to receiver John Brown. Brown came open on the play and Stanton made an impressive throw under pressure, but Brown was more open than he should have been. Rams safety Rodney McLeod put the blame on himself for the touchdown, acknowledging that he slipped on the play, which allowed Brown the space needed to make the play.
Kroenke in the house: Much has been made of the whereabouts or potential whereabouts of Rams owner Stan Kroenke over the past week, but he spent Sunday afternoon watching the Rams take on the Cardinals. Kroenke was seen leaving the Rams' locker room after the game.
