Zach Ertz made the touchdown catch. And then he spiked the ball with such force it was if he hoped to bury it six feet deep.

"Obviously during a game a lot of emotions come about," Ertz said with a chuckle. "I was just happy to finally get in the end zone. I had one or two opportunities already this year and didn't make the most of it for whatever reason, so it felt good to finally get in there.

"Not exactly where we want to be as a team. But excited to get in there."

Ertz has had a strange season. He has 22 receptions in five games after returning from his ACL tear, but he has only 146 yards – a meager 6.6 yards per catch. The touchdown came after those other opportunities he mentioned, a pair of near-end zone catches he couldn't bring in during previous games.

He remains TE1, and he reiterated he feels like he did pre-injury. Coach Jonathan Gannon said he's not worried about the chemistry between Ertz and QB Joshua Dobbs, noting that "all 11" on offense have to get on the same page more often.

Ertz said he's had no mental issues after the ACL tear, noting that the whole point of coming back to practice in training camp were to get those out of the way. Like Gannon, he preaches the work just to get better weekly.

"I watch the tape and I feel like I'm getting open," Ertz said. "Sometimes we're just not on the same page. I'm not always being used like I have been in the past but I'm still evolving in my role in this offense and physically I feel good."

-- Rookie wide receiver Michael Wilson was only targeted twice last week against the Bengals and had one catch for 18 yards. The first target didn't come until less than six minutes were left on the clock.

"I literally texted him after the game," Dobbs said. "I was like, 'Hey man, my first target to you can't be in the fourth quarter.' Just with the production that he's had and the growth that he's had over the last couple weeks. He knows that and he had a great attitude about it, which is what I love about Mike."

Wilson said he's never had a quarterback reach out to him like that before, and praised Dobbs' character and understanding of the emotions of other teammates.

Wilson said "multiple times" he was Dobbs' first read on the play only to have the Bengals come out in a perfect coverage that was obviously going to take him away as an option.

"You practice hard and want to get the ball and stuff but at the end of the day, it's the nature of the position," Wilson said. "Even some of the best receivers will have 10, 11 targets one game and can have two the next game. Sometimes the game of football checks out that way."

-- Keaontay Ingram will be back at running back after missing two games with a neck injury. What does that mean for the Cardinals' running game, which does not have James Conner anymore yet has been a big reason for the team's offensive success? It feels inevitable that Ingram and rookie Emari Demercado will have some kind of sharing situation. What that means (and I'm talking to you fantasy people), I am not sure. Feels like if one gets the hot hand, Drew Petzing will ride that guy.

-- The Cardinals are sixth in the NFL in rushing at 143.2 yards a game. But again, that was mostly with Conner leading the way. One key? Dobbs has had some big runs to add to that total. He didn't run much last week. Feels like that has to change against L.A.

-- The Cardinals need a bounce-back game from Dobbs. Zero turnovers would be very helpful, and he's proven he can do such.

-- Sean McVay's wife is pregnant and due anytime with the birth of their first child, and the Rams head coach and playcaller said Friday he will miss the game if Sunday becomes the birthdate. Playing a home game obviously helps with logistics, but it will be a potential storyline to watch.

-- The Cardinals will wear white-over-white on Sunday.

-- Jesse Luketa, defensive star at Penn State and outside linebacker for the Cardinals, found out last Saturday night he would get the first start of his NFL career against the Bengals – on offense.

"Going back to training camp when they brought up the idea of me playing fullback, I knew they were serious but I didn't know if it would actually happen," Luketa said. "They told me the first play I was going to be on offense but then the first play, I was really out there on offense. It just goes to show, when opportunity comes, be ready."

Luketa has gotten work on both sides of the ball. On defense, he's had 67 snaps at outside linebacker, one at inside linebacker, seven as a slot defensive back (interesting in itself) and then eight on offense at fullback. He also plays all four special teams units.

"If there is an opportunity for me to feed my family by continuing in that role, I'm not against it," Luketa said.

-- Cornerback Marco Wilson has struggled – according to Pro Football Reference his passer rating allowed is 134.3 – and how the Cardinals handle the Rams and a veteran in Matthew Stafford and two excellent receivers in Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua will likely turn the game. With Jalen Thompson out, it looks like both Kei'Trel Clark and Antonio Hamilton will be with Wilson as the three cornerbacks getting the work.

-- Pass rush would help. The Cardinals aren't going to blitz much – even after blitzing a season-most 12 times against the Bengals, the Cards still have the lowest blitz rate in the league (16.4 percent). Blitzing Stafford probably would do more harm than good anyway.

-- The last word comes from Jonathan Gannon, who was asked if the timing of when Kyler Murray's three-week practice window opening hinged on the idea that when those three weeks were up, he'd be ready to play immediately.

"It plays into it, but it's not the deciding factor," Gannon said. "We have a plan of when we want to open his window, and that's going to come from him first, but I like where that is at. That is part of the equation, but it's not the end-all, be-all – 'You have to play in three weeks after we open up your window.' That's not the case."

See you Sunday.