Cardinals vs. Rams score update: Ryan Lindley gets Arizona into the end zone early

Ryan Lindley is the Arizona Cardinals' third starting quarterback of the 2012 season, so job security probably isn't among the many things he's feeling in his first career start. But in his first drive as a starter, against the St. Louis Rams Sunday afternoon, he did get the Cardinals into the end zone... even if it did require an assist from Quintin Mikell of the Rams.

After some success in the short passing game--a surprise after we heard so much about his longball ability--the Cardinals' returning running back, Beanie Wells, scored the game's first touchdown. Lindley's numbers are good, so far, but they're not good in the way we expected: He finished that first drive 7-for-8 for 80 yards.

They're also not without the usual rookie-quarterback and playing-the-Rams asterisks: He was against the ropes just inside Rams territory, with a punt on the way, before Rams safety Quintin Mikell made a boneheaded personal foul, earning a 15-yard penalty and giving the Cardinals' drive new life going into fourth down. It was, to Ryan Lindley's credit, the only get-out-of-jail-free card he would need. The Rams need to stop the Cardinals' offense, but it wouldn't be so difficult if they didn't keep stopping themselves.