Cardinals’ Budda Baker blitz plan and other matchup levers vs. the Rams

Arizona’s defensive staff is leaning into Baker’s ability to win from the A-gap on pressure calls, while the offense and secondary weigh what a healthy Rams passing game means for Sunday at SoFi Stadium.

By The Apex Times Newsroom3 min readAI-assisted Apex article

The Cardinals are emphasizing how their blitz packages are getting home, highlighting Budda Baker’s role in creating pressure early in games. In one sequence three plays in, Baker aligned to the strong side and then raced inside for an A-gap blitz from the shotgun, a call the Cardinals credited for the result they were looking for.

Arizona linked Baker’s impact to more than raw frequency. According to the team’s own provided TruMedia totals, Baker has rushed the passer 12 times in 296 defensive snaps this season, and the team described that as a small percentage jump compared with last year, even as sacks have come at a higher rate.

The payoff has been immediate for Arizona’s pass rush. The Cardinals reported the blitz that put Baker into the backfield boosted his season sack total to 2½, which is already a career-best in a year in which he has appeared in five games, and he described the excitement of getting the pressure call.

Baker’s availability is still a piece to monitor, though. The Cardinals wrote that he is officially questionable for Sunday with a groin injury, even as the defensive plan assumes the team can continue getting stress on the quarterback.

On the offensive side of the preview, Arizona said it expects a missing piece for Los Angeles’ side of the matchup, noting there is no Jeremiyah Love this week due to an ankle and that the Cardinals believe their running backs can handle the adjustment. The team’s preview also pointed to Bam Knight as a running back they rate as underrated.

Arizona’s secondary concerns center on the Rams’ receiving options when the passing game is fully stocked. The Cardinals preview said Davante Adams has gotten off to a strong start, and it added that Puka Nacua has returned to the lineup and dominated recent work, setting up a matchup for the Cardinals at the catch point.

The Cardinals also made their own personnel context part of the story. They noted rookie Jayden Williams remains the starter at left tackle and will face a Rams front that the team described as applying pressure at one of the highest rates in the league this season, while also pointing to the need for Arizona’s passing game to generate yards after getting key targets such as Trey McBride and Michael Wilson open.

Finally, the preview focused on how Arizona wants its roles to settle into place. Jalen Brooks was described as sliding into a receiver role vacated by Marvin Harrison Jr., with Brooks also working on timing with Jacoby Brissett after building his preseason and kickoff-return involvement.

The Cardinals’ tight end picture is framed as a workload and consistency storyline rather than a single-week matchup. Arizona reported that McBride leads the NFL with 42 catches and has been the only player with at least seven catches in every game this year, and the team tied that trend to the possibility of continuing it against the Rams. The answer to what Arizona is counting on Sunday is clear: pressure, especially from Baker’s blitz calls, plus consistent production through key passing targets.

Why It Matters

Baker’s blitz effectiveness matters for Arizona because the Cardinals framed it as a way to generate sacks even when overall heat on pass rushers is limited.
If Baker is limited by the groin, the Cardinals’ pressure plan depends on whether similar blitz concepts can be executed and finished without him.
Jeremiyah Love’s absence is a personnel swing for the run picture, and Arizona’s stated confidence suggests how it plans to absorb the change.
Puka Nacua’s return raises the bar for the Cardinals’ defensive coverage assignments, especially on contested catches and high-volume targets.
With McBride’s catch consistency as a baseline, Arizona’s ability to keep drives moving through him and other core receivers becomes central to countering a defense that the Cardinals described as tough on passing attempts.

Sources

Key Facts

Arizona highlighted an early-game sequence in which Budda Baker aligned to the strong side and then raced inside for an A-gap blitz from the shotgun.
The team reported Baker has 2½ sacks this season, which it said is a career-best already, after playing five games.
Arizona stated Baker is officially questionable for Sunday with a groin injury.
The Cardinals preview said Jeremiyah Love will not play this week due to an ankle.
Arizona described Puka Nacua as back and impactful, positioning him as a key matchup for the Cardinals’ secondary.
Trey McBride was reported as leading the NFL with 42 catches, with Arizona emphasizing his consistency game-to-game.