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The most common questions have been blurted out throughout the week leading up to the NFC West battle of unbeatens between the Arizona Cardinals and Los Angeles Rams.
How do the Rams stop Kyler Murray? How will Jalen Ramsey play De’Andre Hopkins? Do the Cardinals have an answer for Aaron Donald? How do you stop Cooper Kupp if you’re the Cards?
But here’s a question that hasn’t been asked often, but should be. It involves two playmakers on Arizona who should be taken seriously by the Ram defense. That question…
How do you contain the duo of Rondale Moore and Christian Kirk?
A Breakdown of Moore
The rookie Moore came to the desert via Purdue in the second round of the NFL Draft.
The 21-year-old may have lacked size at 5-foot-7, 181-pounds, but as Lance Zierlein of nfl.com pointed out in his scouting report leading up to the NFL Draft, Moore was hailed as someone with an explosive first step and one who races then maintains his top speed throughout his route.
Well, three games in, and Moore has given Kyler Murray and the Cardinal offense an extra Ferrari they can drive on the field.
Moore is averaging 14.1 yards a catch on 13 receptions. According to Pro Football Focus, he’s done his most damage on the outside left of the Cards’ formations — collecting 119 of his 183 yards there. And that includes this 77-yarder here:
Moore was also once called “Julio Jones in Cole Beasley’s body” by PFF.
Moore may be someone who does his damage from the slot. But the Cards have used him on motion plays like this one…which was probably brought up during the Rams’ film study of the Cards:
Kirk Has the Most Big Plays Among Arizona’s WR Unit
The 24-year-old Kirk has stood out in a loaded Arizona offense with this title: The Cards’ most consistent big play threat.
Why? The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder leads the team with five catches that stretch beyond 20+ yards according to ESPN. His 79.7 receiving yards per game is also tops for the Cardinals.
When both WR’s face man coverage, here’s what they’ve accomplished via PFF:
And in a September that saw Kupp torment pass coverages, Kirk actually has this advantage over the Rams’ most dynamic target:
Kirk may be considered a straight-line speedster, but he’s proven to make the high-concentration catches on third downs as viewed here:
Per PFF stats, Kirk destroys coverages between the numbers — meaning he’s gained 119 of his 239 receiving yards down the middle of the defense.
How Can the Rams Counter Both?
As slot WR’s, Kirk and Moore will draw matchups with outside linebackers and safeties. Their speed has been no match for those types of defenders so far in 2021.
In all likelihood, the Cardinals will likely test Ram safety Taylor Rapp after allowing 85 yards his side in the 34-24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by placing one or the other against him. Rapp, however, should get help from one recognizable defender.
The Rams have moved Ramsey around and he’s able to draw different receivers. So he may not be dialed in on Hopkins throughout the afternoon. Another possibility? If the Cards line up both Kirk and Moore to the same side, the Rams could counter by aligning Ramsey and safety captain Jordan Fuller to slow them down. Fuller is currently the least targeted Rams DB starter with just 11 passes thrown his direction.
This is also a game where David Long Jr. and rookie Robert Rochell can take their game another level by locking in on the Cards’ duo. Long has the Rams’ fifth-highest coverage grade by PFF and has surrendered seven catches on 12 targets for 79 yards. Rochell was largely drafted because of his versatility in bouncing between cornerback and safety — so those traits can come in handy here.
Overall, these are two playmakers the Cards clearly want to feed. The Rams have to find a way to snatch away their big play potential.
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