The Rams defense did almost nothing right against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens on Monday night, getting blown out 45-6 on their home field. It was their ugliest performance under Sean McVay, setting them back significantly in the playoff race.
They won’t get a break from facing dynamic quarterbacks anytime soon, either, with Kyler Murray next on their schedule, followed by meetings with Russell Wilson and Dak Prescott.
Murray is an outstanding athlete and has done an excellent job as the Cardinals’ starter this season, making a huge impact as a rookie. He has 14 touchdown passes and only five interceptions, taking great care of the football while also making big plays.
Sean McVay gave the rookie quarterback a lot of credit during Wednesday’s press conference, explaining the similarities and differences between Murray and Jackson.
“There is a similarity in terms of these are elite athletes that are playing the quarterback position that are legitimate threats as runners when they do decide to tuck it,” McVay said. “There’s a little bit different approach schematically that these guys take, but I mean you look at some of the instances when they have utilized Kyler as a runner, it’s been impressive. He gets around the corner quickly, he’s got great acceleration, he’s got great feel for how to manipulate and maneuver through traffic while avoiding taking those hits. And then some of the things you see with 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. It’s been really impressive and how good a job he’s done in taking care of the football.
“They’ve truly improved throughout the year on offense and they’ve had some really impressive performances as of late against some top-tier defenses.”
In two games against the 49ers in the last three weeks, Murray had four touchdown passes and zero interceptions with another 101 rushing yards and one touchdown. That was against one of the best defenses in football, making them look very beatable – something few players have been able to do this year.
The Rams will need to be much better on Sunday afternoon against Murray than they were against Jackson, but that’s easier said than done. Both players can make a defense pay with their legs, and Murray has done plenty of that this season.
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