Cardinals coach Bruce Arians sends shots in Rams’ direction

One week you’re taking a jab at the opposition by sending out a certain group of coin-toss captains. The next week, the opposing coach is taking a jab at your defense and record.

Such is life in the NFL. As former Rams cornerback Cortland Finnegan used to say: “Sometimes you’re the bug, and sometimes you’re the windshield.”

St. Louis played the role of “bug” in Thursday’s 12-6 loss to Arizona, and Cardinals coach Bruce Arians couldn’t help crowing about the victory.

“Everybody wanted to say how great their defense is, but I think they saw a good defense tonight and it was in red and white,” Arians said after the game. “I am very proud of our guys.”

The Rams entered the game with one of the hottest defenses, becoming the first team since Dallas in 2009 to register back-to-back shutouts with a 52-0 win over Oakland on Nov. 30, then a 24-0 win over Washington on Dec. 7.

Even with the loss they haven’t yielded a TD in three games.

But the media attention the St. Louis defense has received lately ruffled some Cardinals’ feathers.

And the fact that they came into the game as an underdog despite sharing the best record in the NFL didn’t go over well.

“I love it when nobody says that you will have a chance to win,” Arians said. “There is an 11-3 team, and a team that is always 8-8. You figure it out.”

Actually, the Rams (6-8) must win their final two games to reach .500 this season. But Arians’ remarks obviously were a shot at Fisher, who had five teams finish 8-8 while head coach of the Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans.

Last Sunday, Fisher upset fans and some media members in Washington and elsewhere when he sent out six Rams players who were acquired via the Robert Griffin III trade in 2012 for the coin toss.