My oversimplified take on this game outside of X's and O's is this....
Whichever team approaches this game from an emotional, rah rah, rally 'round the family, circle the wagons, guns a blazing standpoint will likely lose.
The team who goes into this one with a more focused, business like standpoint will win.
The Rams are a younger team and have been known to lose their cool, focus and make dumb mistakes at critical times before...but they are also a team that IMO can beat anyone in the league when focused on things like execution, gameplan etc.
The Cards IMO are not a particularly emotional team. They have played very well by out-executing most teams and not getting too caught up in things like rivalry, revenge...whatever. Very business-like. When they've struggled it's been mostly due to lethargy and perhaps lacking that emotional fire.
Most meetings between these two teams recently has reflected that modus operandus IMO which makes this weeks game very interesting from a mental standpoint.
Nine times outta ten the Rams would be the team that feels like they've gotta go out and prove something...get too emotional and find ways to lose. The Rams are trying hard just to be a consistently good team. The Cards are fighting much more than that right now.
Mental preparation will be HUGE this week for both HC's.
