With Jeremiyah Love out, who steps up in the Cardinals’ running backs room?

TEMPE — Jeremiyah Love’s rookie season continues to be filled with adversity.

If the Arizona Cardinals’ start to the season wasn’t bad enough at 1-4, the rookie has double-dipped with separate ankle issues dating back to the preseason.

The latest one, however, continues to pester him. It’s been a key reason why he hasn’t been properly utilized in the passing game and why he won’t suit up this week against the Los Angeles Rams.

Six weeks into his rookie season, Love has already dealt with two ankle injuries and a missed game. Definitely not the NFL start most of us expected to see out of the running back who stayed relatively healthy in college.

And while there haven’t been discussions of Jeremiyah Love heading to injured reserve, the door wasn’t completely shut on the possibility, with head coach Mike LaFleur saying Friday they would reevaluate where the rookie is at next week.

In the meantime, though, that opens up the door for veteran Tyler Allgeier to step into a bigger role this week. For a guy who signed this offseason under the idea he was going to be RB1, the runway is clear for just that this week.

 

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Starting two of the five games so far this year, Allgeier has remained a big part of the offense.

Through five weeks, the veteran is second on the team in rushing yards (119) and carries (35). He’s got the longest run out of the running backs room at 22 yards and is one of three players to score a rushing touchdown this season for the franchise.

He’s been utilized in the passing game much more than expected, too.

While all the talk was about Love’s game-breaking ability as a pass catcher, it’s Allgeier who has more receiving yards up to this point with 44 to Love’s 36.

He’s got one more reception than the rookie (12 to 11).

As LaFleur revealed Friday, that near identical split in touches as pass catchers has a lot to do with Love’s lingering ankle issue.

How does Bam Knight fit into the Cardinals’ backfield with Jeremiyah Love out?

Allgeier is expected to lead the charge out of Arizona’s backfield.

He won’t be alone, though, with Bam Knight stepping into a larger role in place of Love.

On top of being another option out of the backfield, Knight can help stretch the field as a pass catcher.

Filling in last year with injuries piling up in the running backs room, Knight recorded 22 catches (31 targets) for 160 yards and a touchdown. Most of that yardage (151) came after the catch and he picked up 10 first downs as a receiver for Arizona in 12 games played.

And with the familiarity both LaFleur and offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett have with the veteran, he’s bound to get his fair share of reps on Sunday.

“His teammates and all of us have a ton of confidence in Bam,” LaFleur said Friday. “He’s performed well, whether that’s back in 2022 with me in New York or any of the times he’s been here.

“Excited to see him run. He runs hard as we know. He’s going to get his opportunity.”

Both he and Allgeier must bring it this week if Arizona hopes to have any chance at turning the tide and ending a four-game losing streak.

While the Rams present a tough test up front with the return of future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald, L.A. hasn’t been the greatest against the run.

Entering play this weekend, the Rams have allowed the seventh-most rushing yards per game to opposing offenses at 128.4.

To compare, the Cardinals sport the 11th-most rushing yards allowed per game at 126.6.

The Rams have been more effective in keeping running backs out of the end zone, though, with four touchdowns allowed to the Cardinals’ six.

Los Angeles also has a leg up in forced fumbles with four to Arizona’s three. L.A. has recovered all but one of those. The Cardinals haven’t corralled any of them.

There’s an opportunity to find success in the run game this week. That is if Arizona can keep things close and isn’t forced to abandon that side of the offense like it has in recent weeks.

Even with Love in the lineup, the Cardinals’ run game continues to be a sore spot.

Will that all change this week?

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