Why Rams should stick to new ground-and-pound game plan vs. Cardinals

The Rams offense was almost unrecognizable in Week 13 against the Jaguars. Gone was the pass-heavy attack with Matthew Stafford dropping back with no illusion of play action or pre-snap motion. Gone were the back-breaking turnovers and short fields handed to the opponent.

Sean McVay swapped out that strategy for a new-look approach that featured 26 rushing attempts by the running backs, 12 play-action passes and heavy packages that included six offensive linemen on the field together. The result was a 37-7 beatdown of the Jaguars, maintaining possession and giving Jacksonville very few opportunities to score.

Their opponent will be much tougher this week as they head to Arizona to face the 10-2 Cardinals, but not much should change with the Rams’ game plan on offense. They should stick with the run-first approach again on Monday night, and there are several reasons for that.

Cardinals are one of the worst teams vs. run

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It’s no coincidence that McVay deployed this new ground-and-pound game plan one week before facing the Cardinals. The Jaguars were the perfect opponent to try it on, knowing they’re one of the worst teams in the NFL, if not the worst.

It’s hard to believe but the Cardinals are even worse against the run than Jacksonville. And that’s exactly why the Rams should stick to the same game plan they used against the Jags. According to Pro Football Focus, the Cardinals have a 38.5 run defense grade, second-worst in the NFL. They’re allowing 4.7 yards per carry, third-worst in football. When the Packers and Panthers beat the Cardinals, they rushed for 151 and 166 yards, respectively, keeping the ball on the ground with success.

The 49ers rushed for 152 yards and only lost by seven, and the Vikings rushed for 177 yards and lost by one. It’s been the recipe many teams have used against Arizona this season and it’s one the Rams should certainly turn to, as well.

With Sony Michel and potentially Darrell Henderson Jr. in the backfield, the Rams should have a two-man tandem to lean on, keeping the defense off-balance with Michel’s physicality and Henderson’s explosiveness. Michel dominated against the Jags and it’s likely he’ll find success against the Cardinals, too.

Keeps the ball away from Kyler Murray

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Time of possession has not been a strong suit for the Rams. They rank 28th in the NFL in average time of possession, holding the ball for only 28:29 per game. The Cardinals are on the exact opposite end, ranking seventh (31:07) in average time of possession.

That’s because the Cardinals are fantastic on third down both offensively and defensively, allowing them to sustain drives and also get opponents off the field by making defensive stops. The Rams are nowhere near as good on third down, ranking 12th offensively and 23rd on defense. It’s exactly why they haven’t been able to sustain many long drives and go three-and-out more often than you’d expect for an offense this talented.

By keeping the ball on the ground, the Rams should be able to keep the ball away from Murray and the Cardinals offense, which is a great strategy for teams that can run it successfully. In the Cardinals’ two losses, they had the ball for less than 22:30 in each game – their lowest totals of the season. In their one-point win over the Vikings, they had the ball for just 31:52 (eighth-lowest of the season) and when they beat the 49ers by seven, they had it for only 28:06 (ninth-lowest.

Translation: The more the Cardinals possess the ball, the larger their scoring margin.

Time of possession obviously doesn’t directly lead to wins, but it is an indicator of success on offense; Seattle, Jacksonville, Houston and Detroit are the four worst teams in time of possession this season.

Arizona excels at creating turnovers

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The Cardinals are very opportunistic on defense. They’ve forced 23 turnovers, which ranks fifth in the NFL, including the ninth-most interceptions with 12. Obviously, everyone’s well aware of Stafford’s turnover issues in the month of November, throwing five interceptions and three pick-sixes.

Turnovers primarily come when offenses throw the ball, which is why running it can be a good remedy for giving it away as often as the Rams did last month. By running the ball heavily against the Cardinals, it doesn’t give players such as Budda Baker and Byron Murphy as many chances to jump routes and make plays on the ball to get it back for the offense.

Stafford threw a pick in the first meeting against the Cardinals in Week 4 on a deep shot to DeSean Jackson. Ironically, Michel also lost a fumble in that game, but that’s no reason to avoid giving him the ball in this one.

Running the ball can help limit the turnover-worthy plays committed by Stafford and the offense.

Neutralizes Cardinals' pass rush

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What’s the best way to slow down an opponent’s pass rush? By running the ball and limiting the opportunities for their edge rushers to get after the quarterback. The Cardinals have two solid pass rushers in Chandler Jones and Markus Golden, who have 32 and 37 pressures this season, respectively.

Their pass-rush grade at Pro Football Focus ranks fourth in the NFL at 79.0 and they’re generating pressure at a fairly high rate, which is obviously bad news for opposing quarterbacks. The Rams have the offensive line to protect Stafford but the fewer hits he can take and the less he’s under pressure, the better.

The Cardinals pressured Stafford 14 times on 47 drop-backs in Week 4, landing five hits on him. Henderson and Michel combined for only 17 carries in that game so there wasn’t much balance. This time around, the Rams should stick with the run more unless the game gets completely out of hand, which it wasn’t until late in the third quarter during their first meeting this season.

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