Behind Enemy Lines brings you the key storylines and latest news for the Arizona Cardinals’ opponents each week this season.
Rams’ Wagner gets to show off familiarity with NFC West — Wednesday
By The Associated Press
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Sean McVay has seen plenty of Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray over the previous three seasons.
But Murray’s improbable escape act as part of the comeback win at Las Vegas, darting back and forth across the field for 20 seconds before scampering into the end zone, reminded the Los Angeles Rams coach just how special he can be.
“This guy, the play is never over with this guy,” McVay said Wednesday.
As the Rams (1-1) prepare for their NFC West opener at the Cardinals (1-1) on Sunday, they have a new option to try and wrangle Murray in inside linebacker Bobby Wagner, who has plenty of familiarity with Murray from his time in Seattle.
“Really, it’s just up to us as a front and coverage all working together to make sure he doesn’t scramble like that,” Wagner said.
Los Angeles is 5-1 against Murray in the regular season and overwhelmed him in a 34-11 wild-card round romp in January, with the overlapping trait being forcing him into back-breaking mistakes. He has thrown eight interceptions against five touchdowns in those six defeats, compared to the efficiency Murray showed in going 24 of 32 for 268 yards and two touchdown passes in the 37-20 win in Week 4 last season.
The Rams have also been largely effective in limiting Murray as a runner. He has 152 yards and one touchdown on 28 carries, bur Wagner cautioned Murray’s mobility can present itself in a number of ways.
“I think if you let him kind of run around and make crazy plays, come off your guys, not only does he do that well but the team ignites off plays like that, so we definitely have to limit those opportunities for him,” Wagner said.
McVay agreed with that assessment, pointing to Murray’s ability to find receivers down the field while moving.
“He’s a very, very special player and somebody that we have to account for,” McVay said. “It’s definitely something that our guys are excited about, but it’s a great challenge, without a doubt.”
For Wagner, the test Murray presents will allow him to carry over his past experience. He was his typical productive self in four games against Murray with the Seahawks, totaling 43 tackles with three tackles for loss and one sack while splitting the results on the scoreboard.
When his 10-year career in Seattle came to an end this offseason, Wagner’s priority was staying on the West Coast to remain close to family. Staying in the division was a “bonus” that came with the five-year contract to sign with the Rams, he said.
“But it is nice to know teams that you’ve played throughout your whole career. They haven’t really changed much, and get to play against them in a different defense so it’ll be new to them,” Wagner said.
The initial returns have been positive, as Wagner has seven tackles with one sack in each of his first two games for Los Angeles.
“I think he’s integrated super well,” defensive tackle Greg Gaines said. “He’s got obviously a lot of experience, which gives him a commanding presence, and he’s our play caller in the huddle so I think he just fits in really well.”
The expectation is both Wagner and the defense will get better as they get more comfortable with each other, particularly building off division games such as Arizona where there is already a high degree of familiarity to build off.
Gaines is already able to play the run game differently because of the early rapport he is building with Wagner.
“It’s awesome having him back there ’cause instead of having to be more two-gap-ish, I can just take one side and know he’s gonna be there to fit the other side, and that helps a lot,” Gaines said.
NOTES: Reserve TE Brycen Hopkins was suspended three games for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy on Wednesday. … RG Alaric Jackson is likely to start this week after Tremayne Anchrum Jr. sustained a season-ending ankle injury against Atlanta on Sunday. … CB Cobie Durant (hamstring) did not practice and is day to day. … WR Van Jefferson will not practice this week as he continues to recover from knee surgery.
Champion Los Angeles Rams must remember how to finish after rocky win — Monday
By The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — For the first 48 minutes against Atlanta, the Los Angeles Rams looked like proper defending Super Bowl champions while they rolled toward their first victory of the new season.
The final 12 minutes demonstrated they’ve still got plenty of work to do if they intend to contend for a second straight title.
The Rams came alarmingly close to blowing a 25-point lead in the second half of their 31-27 victory over the Falcons on Sunday. After leading 28-3 late in the third quarter and 31-10 with about nine minutes to play, they needed an interception in the end zone by Jalen Ramsey with 1:07 left just to hang on.
Those late struggles — caused partly by a massive special teams mistake, and partly by a fumble from star receiver Cooper Kupp — didn’t erase the positives of the first three quarters, which included an impressive display from the passing game led by Matthew Stafford.
But they did show that these Rams need more work to become as smooth as they were during the best stretches in their first half-decade under Sean McVay.
“First of all, really proud of this team finding a way to be able to get it done,” McVay said. “Man, are there so many things that we can clean up. But I’ll tell you what, (I) haven’t been doing this that long, but I’ve been doing it long enough to know you never take a win for granted in this league. It’s too difficult to come by.”
Kupp had yet another monster game as a receiver, but the offensive player of the year also contributed to the Rams’ late struggles by fumbling with 3:22 to play. Atlanta then got to the Rams 24 before Ramsey’s game-saving interception.
The Rams’ execution was mostly solid before the final minutes, but McVay will have plenty to use for instruction as his team prepares for its first road trip of the season, to Arizona on Sunday.
WHAT’S WORKING
The Rams’ offense took significant steps forward on the ground and through the air. Los Angeles got 47 yards rushing from Darrell Henderson and 44 more from Cam Akers, while Kupp had 11 catches for 108 yards and two TDs alongside newcomer Allen Robinson’s four catches for 53 yards and a score. Kupp had at least 90 yards receiving for the 21st time in 23 games playing with Stafford.
WHAT NEEDS HELP
A special teams mistake was the main reason Atlanta was in position to come all the way back. The Falcons blocked a punt by newcomer Riley Dixon and returned it for a touchdown with 4:57 to play, and the 2-point conversion cut the Rams’ lead to 31-25. Long snapper Matt Orzech, who is fighting through a leg injury, appeared to miss the block that led to the blocked kick. Other than reliable kicker Matt Gay, Los Angeles’ special teamers have yet to make a positive impact this season.
STOCK UP
Defensive back Cobie Durant stepped in when veteran Troy Hill went out with an injury in the second quarter, and the rookie immediately made an impact with his first career interception and a 52-yard return on a ball that was bobbled by Cordarrelle Patterson. In the second half, Durant made his first career sack. The fourth-round draft pick is making a case to play regularly, although McVay said he could miss some playing time with a hamstring injury that occurred before his interception.
“Cobie, he’s been in his playbook,” safety Nick Scott said. “It’s pretty obvious. We’re not worried about him.”
STOCK DOWN
After leading the NFL with 17 interceptions last season, Stafford has thrown eight more picks in his last four games, including the playoffs. The Rams are 3-1 in those games, but Stafford knows he’s taking risks when he sometimes shouldn’t, and he has vowed to clean it up.
Kliff Kingsbury: Cardinals must ‘tighten everything up’ ahead of Rams tilt — Monday
By Tyler Drake/Arizona Sports
TEMPE — The Arizona Cardinals are undoubtedly holding their heads higher than they were a week prior after knocking off the Las Vegas Raiders in overtime.
Down 20-0 at one point, Arizona mounted one of the biggest comebacks in franchise history in the 29-23 win.
Defensively, the unit flipped the script from the first to second half, limiting a dangerous Raiders offense to just a field goal over the final two quarters.
On the offensive end, Kyler Murray and Co. found their stride, with the signal caller flashing his abilities through the air and on the ground.
But for all the good feelings that came out of it in the end, you can’t forget what got the Cardinals in that spot in the first place: a downright ugly first half of football, highlighted by negative plays, penalties and an early sack and pressure on the QB.
And with another tough task in the Los Angeles Rams next up on the docket, Arizona can’t bank on another comeback to right its wrongs.
“Talent and effort is something that we know we have,” Kingsbury told Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke on Monday. “We see it each and every day with the way our guys work and the type of roster we have.
“But the mistakes, it’s coaching, it’s playing, it’s all of it. We’ve got to tighten everything up and the first two weeks haven’t been the standard for us as far as execution goes and play calling and all of those things in all three phases.”
That’s not to say the Rams are the juggernaut they were last season, however.
Los Angeles hasn’t had the best start to the season, losing in an embarrassing fashion in Week 1 before narrowly squeaking out a victory against a questionable Atlanta Falcons team in Week 2.
Defensively, the Rams have allowed at least 27 points in each of their first two matchups. On the other side of the football, quarterback Matthew Stafford and the offense are clearly still working out the kinks.
After a win like the Cardinals had on Sunday, Arizona has to capitalize on all the good that came out of that momentum-fostering victory while still getting down to business to remedy all the bad that was on display.
The first divisional game of the season is here. And with the NFC West up for grabs, it cannot be taken lightly.
