The Cardinals' Explosive Play Gap, and What LaFleur Did in Just 2 Games
One of the biggest areas of improvement the Arizona Cardinals need to make in 2026 relates to explosive plays — both in the pass game and on the ground. Mike LaFleur and the LA Rams were one of the best teams in the league when it came to explosive plays.
| Passer | Comp. | Comp% | Yards | TD | INT | PFF Grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Stafford (LAR) | 40 | 47.1% | 1,270 (1st) | 11 (1st) | 1 | 99.9 |
| Jacoby Brissett (ARI) | 18 | 38.3% | 498 | — | — | 86.0 |
| Kyler Murray (ARI) | 6 | 37.5% | 178 | — | — | 75.9 |
Through the air: Stafford had the most completions on deep passes in the league with 40. Brissett and Murray combined for 24 completions on deep passes — 676 yards total, well short of Stafford's 1,270 on his own.
| Team | Explosive Runs | Rush Yards | Top Run Grade |
|---|---|---|---|
| LA Rams | 24 | 538 | 87.0 (T5th) — Kyren Williams / Blake Corum |
| Arizona | 11 | 336 | 72.2 (T39th) — Bam Knight |
On the ground: the Rams had 24 explosive runs for 538 rushing yards, with both Kyren Williams and Blake Corum grading out at 87.0 (T5th). The Cardinals didn't have a single running back grade above 73 all season — Bam Knight was the team's highest at 72.2 (T39th).
Conclusion: the Cardinals had 29 fewer explosive plays and 934 fewer yards on explosive plays than the Rams in 2025.
In the two games Mike LaFleur called for the Rams — Week 18 2024 and Week 14 2025 — the Rams had 4 explosive runs and 11 explosive passes, totaling 15 explosive plays across just those two games. That's a third of the explosive plays the Cardinals had all season, produced in two games. There were also 5 more passes that just missed the 20+ mark, ranging from 14–19 yards, across those same two LaFleur-called games.
Watch the breakdown on X →