Who’s the biggest Rams menace to Cardinals’ Week 2 success?

TEMPE — The Arizona Cardinals enter their Week 2 game against a Los Angeles Rams team missing some key pieces from previous matchups.

To the relief of quarterback Kyler Murray (and all the other NFL quarterbacks not named Matthew Stafford), defensive tackle Aaron Donald and his 16 sacks, 26 tackles for loss and 34 QB hits against the Cardinals opted for retirement this offseason after 10 seasons and eight First Team All-Pro nods.

Breakout wide receiver Puka Nacua, fresh off a record-setting rookie season of 105 catches for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns, is missing his first game as a pro after getting placed on injured reserve this week.

L.A.’s starting offensive line meanwhile is banged up to the point where only one member of the unit has practiced this week.

But even with all the injuries and the future Hall of Famer hanging it up, the Rams, who were a tough out for the playoff-contending Detroit Lions, still have plenty of firepower at head coach Sean McVay’s disposal for the Cardinals to contend with in Week 2.

“They’re still obviously well coached,” quarterback Kyler Murray said Wednesday. “They have a lot of great young players up there that play super hard. … Well coached, play super hard. Those things are unmatched.”

A look at the biggest menaces for the Cardinals in their Week 2 matchup against the Rams:

Still that dude

On top of his ability to beat the Cardinals through the air, Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen rumbled his way into two more rushing touchdowns in his team’s 34-28 win over Arizona last week.

Unlike their Week 1 foe, the Cardinals don’t have to worry too much about Stafford doing Allen-like things in the run game.

But where Stafford lacks with his legs, he more than makes up for with his arm.

“He can deal it man. He’s tough as all get out, very accurate, sees it, never sped up,” head coach Jonathan Gannon said Wednesday. “Through the course of my career, because I was in his division for a long time, he makes some ‘wow’ plays, some eye-popping plays, he stays on time, he’s on schedule. He’s a really good football player.”

Stafford’s had the Cardinals’ number since joining forces with the Rams, posting a 4-1 mark that includes three multi-touchdown games and two outings of at least 280 yards since 2021.

A known thorn in Arizona’s side, Stafford enters Sunday’s matchup coming off a strong showing in the Rams’ overtime loss to the Lions. He had the second-highest passing yardage in Week 1 behind 317 yards to go along with a touchdown and an interception on 69.4% throwing. Only Miami Dolphins signal caller Tua Tagovailoa threw for more yards (338) last week.

“I like going against Stafford. He’s a guy who can have those amazing no-look passes, a guy who can move the underneath defense to where he wants them to go so he can throw it to whatever target he wants,” safety Budda Baker said Thursday. “The ball comes in very fast, has a zip. Top three quarterback I believe watching on film. Great quarterback and excited to go against him.”

But as mentioned higher up, Stafford and the Rams are dealing with some serious injury concerns along the offensive line. If there was ever a time to dial up more pressure against the NFC West foe, it’s this week.

Save from a 63-yard catch-and-run that really should have been nothing more than a short gain, Stafford was held largely in check when the Lions got into the backfield. Across Detroit’s 11 pressures, Stafford completed six-of-10 passes for 91 yards and a sack, per NFL Next Gen Stats.

Unlike the Cardinals, who registered three pressures in each of the two halves in Week 1, the Lions kept the pressure on throughout the game.

Regardless of pass-rushing talent, the Cardinals must be able to exploit a depleted Rams O-line to have any shot at throwing Stafford off his game.

Kyren the Cardinals killer

Don’t let his pedestrian 2.8 yards per carry give you any second guesses. Third-year running back Kyren Williams is a problem, especially for the Cardinals.

Two of the running back’s best games of the year came at Arizona’s expense last season, with Williams rushing for at least 143 yards and scoring one touchdown on no fewer than 16 carries.

And although he was held out of the end zone as a runner in the second matchup of the season, Williams scored twice through the air on the Rams’ way to victory.

“He did a great job against us last year. Of course it’s a new group, new team, new players,” Baker said. “That’s the No. 1 thing is to ultimately stop the run.

“He’s great at running those stretch opens, pitches. Whatever they ask him to do, to block, he does a great job at it and does it a high level.”

Kupp’s never empty

No Puka, no problem?

Yes, losing Nacua is a tough blow for the Rams. They do, however, still have one of the top receiving threats in the game in Cooper Kupp.

And if you needed a refresher, take a look at what he did last Sunday.

Making up for the loss of Nacua, Kupp reeled in a league-leading 14 catches on 21 targets for 110 yards and a touchdown in Week 1. That’s right, 21 targets.

That’s only 10 fewer than what the eight Cardinals pass catchers who recorded a target saw in their Week 1 loss to the Bills.

The Cardinals secondary, not only nickel corner Garrett Williams, are going to have their hands full on Sunday with a wide receiver who lines up across the formation and frequently goes into motion.

L.A.’s new Verse

The time has *potentially* come. After jawing with one another while on with Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo, the opportunity is there for Jared Verse and Trey Benson to face off on the gridiron.

As Verse put it, he was going to knock the paint off Benson’s helmet, much to Benson’s refusal.

All jokes aside, the rookie Verse is coming off a strong Week 1 showing where he registered one sack on six pressures (tied for fifth in the NFL), a tackle for loss and two quarterback hits in his NFL debut.

Last week against the Lions, Verse lined up exclusively on the left side. If that’s the case in Week 2, he’ll draw Paris Johnson Jr. more times than not.

This has the makings of a really good battle in the trenches.

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