The Rams’ depth at cornerback is going to be tested tonight against the Cardinals, more so than it has all season. Jalen Ramsey and Darious Williams are both healthy and set to start, but in the last two days, Robert Rochell was placed on injured reserve and Dont’e Deayon landed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Deayon hasn’t been ruled out just yet, but he’s highly unlikely to take the field against Arizona. That means David Long Jr. will be forced to step up, taking on a starting role once again this season.
Coincidentally, this opportunity comes against the same team that essentially led to his demotion in the first place. Long was a starter in the first four weeks of the season, playing the majority of the snaps at cornerback. He played 82% in Week 4 against the Cardinals, but the following week, the Rams gave him just seven total snaps on defense as he was relegated to reserve and special teams role.
That’s because in the Rams’ loss to the Cardinals 10 weeks ago, Long allowed five catches on five targets for 89 yards and a touchdown. Kyler Murray picked on him in coverage and had plenty of success, causing the Rams to make a change the following week in Seattle.
Long did play 93% of the snaps in Week 8 against the Texans when Robert Rochell was limited to two snaps due to a knee injury, but other than that, he hasn’t played more than 42% in a game since Week 4.
And in two of the last three games, Long didn’t play a single snap on defense, totaling 21 snaps in that span.
He’s undoubtedly fallen out of favor in Los Angeles, but the Rams have no choice but to rely on him tonight in Arizona. Ramsey, Williams and Long are the only cornerbacks on the active roster, with Grant Haley, Tyler Hall and Kareem Orr also on the practice squad.
The Rams will need Long to play much better than he did in that Week 4 loss to the Cardinals, though this matchup doesn’t exactly help their cause. In addition to DeAndre Hopkins, the Cardinals also have Christian Kirk, A.J. Green and Rondale Moore at wide receiver, who have all topped 400 yards receiving this season.
The Cardinals had success throwing Long’s way last time around, and there’s no reason to believe they won’t stick with that plan tonight. This is a golden opportunity at redemption for Long in a huge spot in prime time.
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