4 Cardinals weaknesses the Rams must exploit in wild-card game
The Los Angeles Rams and Arizona Cardinals know each other well. They play twice a year and for the first time since 1975, they’ll now meet in the postseason – just the second-ever playoff game between these teams.
The Rams are working up their game plan for attacking the Cardinals, attempting to capitalize on their weaknesses on both offense and defense. There are some obvious spots on Arizona’s team that can be exploited, four of which we’ve laid out here.
If the Rams are going to win this game, they’ll likely take advantage of these weaknesses for the Cardinals.
Run defense
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This didn’t just suddenly become a weakness in recent weeks. It’s been an issue for the Cardinals all season long. They rank 20th in rushing yards allowed and give up the seventh-most yards per carry in the NFL, which wasn’t helped by the 202 yards they surrendered to the Seahawks in the season finale.
The Rams had mixed results running the ball against the Cardinals in their two meetings this season, rushing for 121 yards in their Week 4 loss but only 89 in their Week 14 win.
Pro Football Focus graded the Cardinals as the 13th-worst run defense in the NFL with a score of 49.3 – considerably lower than the Rams’ run defense grade of 82.7, which is the best in football.
The Rams shouldn’t force the run, but moving the ball between the tackles should be a recipe for success against the Cardinals’ interior defenders. Their two starting linebackers, Jordan Hicks and Isaiah Simmons, had run defense grades of 61.6 and 40.7, respectively.
Pass protection
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Arizona’s pass protection was solid at the beginning of the season but there have been some recent struggles. Kyler Murray was sacked five times in Week 18 against the Seahawks and four times by the Rams in Week 14, with D.J. Humphries being one of the main culprits at left tackle.
He allowed seven pressures and two sacks against the Seahawks, and two weeks prior against the Colts, he was given a pass blocking grade of 24.5 by PFF. He had trouble against Von Miller and Leonard Floyd five weeks ago, too, giving up six pressures and one hit in pass protection.
Josh Jones has also been a weak link on the offensive line, playing both right tackle and right guard. If he gets the start on Monday night, the Rams should test him with stunts and by putting Aaron Donald across from him.
The Rams can find ways to get to Murray and though he’s been good while under pressure this season, he’s more turnover-prone when defenders are bearing down on him.
LBs in coverage
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There’s little doubt that the Cardinals are going to attack the Rams’ inside linebackers. The Rams should do the same to Arizona’s. Hicks and Simmons have been easy targets in coverage, allowing a combined completion rate of 72%. Linebackers are always susceptible to giving up catches in coverage, but the Rams should find ways to get Hicks and Simmons matched up on players such as Cooper Kupp, Cam Akers and Tyler Higbee.
The Rams have lined up Kupp in the backfield in an attempt to get him matched up with linebackers, which is as favorable as a matchup gets. That probably won’t happen often, though, so it’ll be up to Sony Michel, Akers and Higbee to take advantage of their opportunities against Arizona’s linebackers.
Outside cornerbacks
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Robert Alford and Marco Wilson both missed Week 18, leaving the Cardinals without their primary outside cornerbacks. Byron Murphy Jr. lines up on the boundary, too, but he’s mostly been a slot defender this season.
Whether Alford and Wilson return or not, the Rams should have some opportunities to throw the ball outside the numbers against Arizona’s boundary corners. Wilson had a coverage grade of 52.1 and allowed a completion rate of 72.5% in coverage. Alford was better with a grade of 68.5 and 66.1% completion rate allowed, but he’s still a player opposing quarterbacks have had success against.
This isn’t to say the Rams should ignore Kupp in the slot against Murphy because that proved to yield success in Week 14, but Van Jefferson and Odell Beckham Jr. have a golden opportunity to really contribute in this game.
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