The Los Angeles Rams were absolutely torched by Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s versatility during their embarrassing loss on Monday Night Football in Week 12.
The defense will not be catching any breaks this week as they get set to hit the road to take on the Arizona Cardinals. Like Jackson, Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray poses a unique challenge thanks to his dynamic skill set as both a runner and a passer.
Last week, the entire league got to see Los Angeles struggle to contain the MVP frontrunner as he had his way with the defense on the ground and through the air. The Rams coaching staff knows full well that if any team can follow the same blueprint, it is Arizona.
Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips acknowledged the difficulty of keeping mobile quarterbacks like Jackson and Murray from making plays with their legs, via Stu Jackson of the team’s official website:
“It’s going to be another challenge, especially with the quarterback being as versatile as he is,” Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips. “He doesn’t run as many designed runs, certainly, but he does take off with the football and has great speed.”
Rams head coach Sean McVay added that Murray has been just as impressive in the passing game:
“Then, some of the things that you see with just his ability to change the launch point, his ability to speed it up, make all those different types of throws in the pocket, out of the pocket,” McVay said. “It’s been really impressive in how good of a job he’s done of taking care of the football.”
It is no secret the Cardinals have endured their fair share of struggles in the 2019 NFL season. As a result, Murray’s promising rookie campaign has largely flown under the radar after throwing for 2,703 yards, 14 touchdowns, and five interceptions while tacking on 418 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 67 carries.
Although Jackson is much further along in his development, the fact that Murray boasts a similar repertoire makes him a dangerous threat to the Rams defense. After all, it did not take the former very many touches to make his presence felt last week and that type of efficiency is undoubtedly something the Cardinals are going to attempt to emulate in their first NFC West showdown.
This is why it will be even more crucial for Los Angeles not to allow the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft to find his rhythm early on in Week 13, or else the Rams could see their playoff hopes fall to zero.
