Los Angeles Rams should use John Kelly against Arizona

Coming off of a 33-13 win, the Los Angeles Rams head home to the Coliseum for what should be a relatively easy contest against the Arizona Cardinals.

While no game in the NFL is a guarantee, the Los Angeles Rams have about as close of a guarantee that a team can have in Week 2.

Well, we all said that about the New Orleans Saints last week, so I guess anything can happen in the Arizona Cardinals-Los Angeles Rams Week 2 contest.

Either way, the Los Angeles Rams are obviously the much more talented team. Arizona was seriously outmatched by a decent Washington Redskins team last week and seemingly do not have the tools to keep up with LA.

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Whether it is the great pass rush, the lockdown secondary or the overwhelming amount of offensive weapons, the Rams immensely talented roster should pick apart this Cardinals team.

Thus, we likely will see a game that gets out of hand quick. The Cardinals will likely manage the game enough with the running game and check down passes to keep the game close earlier. However, like we saw with the Oakland Raiders in Week 1, once the Rams get going the team is hard to stop.

Because of this, the Rams should be weary in overusing elite running back, Todd Gurley. Gurley got off to a very slow start in Week 1 before tearing it up in the second half. This week, the Rams will likely be looking to get him going early.

Gurley could already have a massive box score by halftime in a game that is unreachable for the Arizona Cardinals. That is when the Los Angeles Rams give the nod to John Kelly to carry the load and show his worth.

Kelly, a sixth-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, has been highly regarded as an excellent value pick for the Los Angeles Rams. Kelly tore it up in the preseason and was heads and shoulders better than the rest of the preseason backs.

Kelly was third in the NFL in preseason rushing yards this season. He carried the ball 46 times for 197 yards and three touchdowns.

Kelly’s 4.3 average yards per carry showcases that he can be an effective NFL back. He has the explosiveness and athleticism to make the line miss and explode through holes in the offensive line. He also has the toughness to break tackles and a good amount of speed to break open.

Todd Gurley is obviously the feature back and that is not going to change. However, getting Kelly a decent amount of carries in a blowout game is not only smart for Gurley’s health but opens up the playbook for LA for the rest of the season.

Kelly saw no playing time in Week 1 against the Raiders. Wide receiver Cooper Kupp had two carries; Brandin Cooks, Malcolm Brown and Robert Woods all had a carry each. However, Gurley also had only 20 carries, so passing the ball was the obvious emphasis.

Next. Last minute score predictions vs. Cardinals. dark

This week, expect a completely different game against an Arizona team that struggles against the run but can rush the passer. As soon as this game gets out of hand, the Rams should give Kelly the chance to shine.

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