The celebrated offseason addition of Allen Robinson has produced a grand total of 95 yards in four games. The Stafford-to-Kupp connection has assaulted the record books, but teams are willing to live with the All-Pro wideout catching a bunch of underneath throws to take away the deep balls and big plays. ![]() Currently, the Rams rank 29th in scoring and 28th in total offense. ![]() Despite the offensive guru partnering with a five-star talent at quarterback, Los Angeles' offense is stuck in the mud due to the lack of balance and creativity in the team's game plan. GLASS HALF EMPTY: The league has cracked the code on Sean McVay's scheme. That said, there is not a better core group in football these standouts' individual and collective talents are good enough to get the job done. However, with this top-heavy approach, the inconsistent supporting cast makes it hard for the team to win when their stars are having an off day. The Rams' highly accomplished nucleus ( Matthew Stafford, Cooper Kupp, Aaron Donald, Bobby Wagner and Jalen Ramsey) has the talent and tools to take over games. GLASS HALF FULL: This Hollywood outfit features enough star power to win games at the highest level. Without a series of schematic adjustments to make the offense more consistent on a drive-to-drive basis, the Cards' playoff hopes hinge on their stars routinely going above and beyond, and that's a tall order. This team wins when its best offensive players make big plays in big spots, but the top teams in the NFC have enough defensive playmakers to neutralize the Cardinals' stars in "gotta have it" moments. At this point, with Arizona failing to field a top-10 scoring offense in any of Kingsbury's four seasons on the job, I have a hard time imagining the coach coming up with enough answers to help the Cardinals truly find their way on offense. With the offense sputtering and stalling, the high-risk, high-reward defensive tactics could backfire and leave Arizona on the outside looking in at the playoff field.įINAL VERDICT: With the offense's uneven effort thus far, we've seen some tension between Kingsbury and Murray, most notably in the fourth quarter of last week's game at Carolina. The secondary will eventually be exposed, with big plays putting the team behind the eight ball. Although the blitz-heavy tactics have been effective at times, the Cards do not want to live and die by the blitz against the top-tier quarterbacks remaining on the schedule. ![]() The lack of offensive production forces Arizona's defense to bring pressure early and often to keep opponents on their heels. The Cardinals have been outscored 66-16 in the first half this season. GLASS HALF EMPTY: Arizona's slow starts put an immense amount of pressure on defensive coordinator Vance Joseph to call the perfect game. If Arizona can develop a more consistent running game that enables Kliff Kingsbury to utilize an increasingly balanced offensive approach, the Bird Gang has enough firepower to overtake its rivals as the top team in the division. Operating without his WR1 during DeAndre Hopkins' six-game suspension, Murray has managed to keep the team afloat despite some faulty game plans that have forced him to play sandlot football for extended stretches. GLASS HALF FULL: Kyler Murray is a dynamic playmaker with the capacity to overcome less-than-ideal circumstances to help the Cardinals win games.
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