The Rams charter flight to Phoenix left at about 5 p.m. Friday, much to the consternation of coach Jim Haslett and his players. The team normally travels on Saturday, but former coach Scott Linehan decided that he wanted to leave a day early on the long trips this season. They did so to Seattle and San Francisco earlier this year.

Haslett doesn’t like holding the Saturday walk-through on the road or having his players sit around a hotel for more than a day-and-a-half before kickoff.  But it was cost-prohibitive to try to change the schedule once it was set in place.

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Notes & quotes:

*The Rams’ only scratch because of injury Sunday will be CB Tye Hill (knee). The rest of the Rams are at least healthy enough to suit up.

*The Rams have faced some of the best return men in the league in the Bears’ Devin Hester, the Jets’ Leon Washington and the 49ers’ Allen Rossum. But the Rams’ Donnie Jones, the NFL’s leading punter, said, “I look at everyone the same, really, because they wouldn’t be playing in this league if they weren’t good. You have a few standouts, but I never take anyone lightly. Because when you take someone lightly, that’s when they can really hit you.”

*The Cards are averaging 28.2 points per game, third-highest in the league. “They’re playing well; it’s most definitely a challenge for us,” said Chris Draft, who will start at middle linebacker. “But we’ve shown when we play together and we play strong as a team, we’re a very hard team to play. We beat Dallas and we beat Washington. What we have to do is come together better and eliminate those big plays.”

*The last time Arizona had a winning record and made the playoffs (1998), Corey Chavous was a rookie there. Chavous was drafted by the Cardinals in the second round and spent four seasons there.

*Kurt Warner has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 20 consecutive games, a Cardinals franchise record.

All for now . . .