Rams' descent continues with fifth consecutive loss

ST. LOUIS -- Jeff Fisher didn't wait to switch quarterbacks after the St. Louis Rams' latest dud.

The coach can only hope backup Case Keenum can provide a spark for a team that's dropping like a rock.

Fisher said the locker room was "pretty quiet" after the Rams lost their fifth in a row, 27-3 to the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

"It's kind of a broken record thing with the offense," Fisher said. "It doesn't give yourself a chance."

Keenum was the backup Sunday after clearing the concussion protocol a day earlier. He missed last week's loss at Cincinnati.

Fisher said Keenum was "good enough to be the two, he just didn't have the reps."

Foles seemed to take his second demotion this year in stride. The Rams signed him to a two-year contract extension before the preseason and he has seven touchdown passes with 10 interceptions, with four picks and no TDs the last two games.

"Got to keep working," Foles said. "That's all I can say. That's my answer: keep working."

The defense was awful, too, surrendering 524 yards.

"We're getting what we deserve," defensive end Chris Long said. "We're not playing well enough to win on either side of the ball."

Replacement running backs David Johnson and Kerwynn Williams both had touchdowns and Carson Palmer threw for 356 yards.

The Rams (4-8) mustered just 212 yards and nine first downs, and they were 1 for 12 on third down. They were shut out in the first half for the second time this season.

The scoring total was a season worst for St. Louis, which scored six points against the Steelers and seven points last week against Cincinnati.

"Coach is almost out of answers," Fisher said. "We have too many good players. It has to get better."

The Rams have lost five in a row and have been outscored 58-10 the last two. The team announced 51,115 tickets distributed, a season low and about 15,000 shy of a sellout, and the dome looked half empty.

Running back Todd Gurley acknowledged hearing boos throughout the game.

"We know we've got to get our stuff together; we don't need nobody telling us that," Gurley said. "We're as frustrated as the fans."

Johnson, a rookie, had 99 yards on 22 carries in his first career start and caught one of Palmer's two TD passes. Williams scored his first career TD on a 35-yard run.

Palmer was 26 of 40 with no interceptions and -- unlike the previous three games in the streak -- he did not need to lead a late scoring drive to win. Arizona led 10-0 at the half and never let the Rams into the game.

"Everybody's disappointed, frustrated, embarrassed," said Gurley, held to 41 yards on nine carries. "We go out there and practice hard, man, but it just hasn't been paying off."

Larry Fitzgerald made his 1,000th reception and topped 1,000 yards receiving for the seventh time. The Cardinals (10-2) have won seven of eight since losing 24-22 at home to St. Louis in Week 4.

The Cardinals drove 80 yards on the opening drive capped by rookie J.J. Nelson's 22-yard scoring catch.

Two Rams, cornerback Janoris Jenkins and tight end Lance Kendricks, were ruled out with concussions late in the game. Jenkins was evaluated twice, both times on hits from teammates, and didn't recover from a blow delivered by Mark Barron on Johnson's 10-yard TD catch with 5:51 to go in the third.

Noteworthy

• Rams replacement kicker Zach Hocker strained a quad before kickoff so punter Johnny Hekker handled kickoffs for the first time since high school. Hocker made a 35-yard field goal. Hekker averaged a season-best 54.5 yards with a net of 48.3 yards.