Cardinals' Wounded OL Doesn't Leave Much Hope Moving Forward
The Arizona Cardinals have seen far too much shuffling along the offensive line.
Typical starters at tackle D.J. Humphries and Kelvin Beachum have done a good job of staying healthy through the season (though Humphries recently missed a game due to a back injury).
The interior, however, is a different story.
Left guard Justin Pugh was recently lost for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL. Center Rodney Hudson has now missed multiple weeks with a knee injury with no clear timetable, either.
The sprinkles were doused on top of the (you know what) sundae when right guard Will Hernandez went out with a pectoral injury just nine plays into the loss vs. Seattle.
Sixth-round draft pick Lecitus Smith filled in the rest of the way.
The interior trio of Smith, Billy Price at center and Cody Ford at guard was simply no match for an impressive Seahawks front that posed problems from start to finish. Murray was sacked five times on the day, which only trailed the six times Murray was brought down in the first meeting vs. Seattle.
Simply put, the current group isn't getting the job done.
Next up are the Los Angeles Rams, who feature one of the greatest players of his generation in DL Aaron Donald.
"He's one of the most dominant players, every game film you watch he's wrecking people's gameplans regardless of what type of plan they have for him. So we will have to make sure we know where he's out on every snap," Kliff Kingsbury said on Monday.
It doesn't sound like reinforcements are coming soon, either.
Hernandez isn't returning to the lineup soon. It also sounds as if Hudson won't play Sunday as Price looks to again start at center.
Kingsbury said the team didn't want to risk playing Sean Harlow at guard considering he's their back-up center at the moment.
In a pivotal stretch for the Cardinals, their most important position group can't manage to either stay healthy nor maintain an acceptable level of play. That's not a knock on the likes of Smith, Price, Ford, Harlow or Max Garcia. Playing in the league as an offensive lineman is tough business.
Even Murray himself spoke on that following the loss:
"I don't think anybody in here has ever played professional O-line, but the continuity got to be there. You know, It's tough," said Murray.
"Those guys are working together, trying to get on a groove together. But when you got the rotation and stuff like that when guys go down, it is tough, but at the end of the day, next man up mentality. We just gotta be better."
We'll see if the interior make major progress in a week's worth of time.
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