David Long Jr. bounced back in a big way after struggling in first game vs. Cardinals

[theramswire.usatoday.com] David Long Jr. bounced back in a big way after struggling in first game vs. Cardinals

Skyler Carlin
December 14, 2021 11:00 am PT

Ahead of Monday night’s much-anticipated showdown between the Los Angeles Rams and the Arizona Cardinals, there was some surprising news surrounding the Rams. Jalen Ramsey, Tyler Higbee, Donte Deayon, Rob Havenstein, and Darrell Henderson were all added to the reserve/COVID-19 list, forcing them to miss the important matchup with the Cardinals.

Besides Ramsey and Deayon being sidelined, the Rams also recently placed Robert Rochell on injured reserve, leaving them thin in the secondary. While Los Angeles activated players from their practice squad, David Long Jr. was thrust into a starting role again – much to the dismay of fans.


Despite the criticism he’s received for his performance this season, Long played extremely well against the Cardinals. During Monday night’s stunning win, Long allowed three receptions for 28 yards on nine targets, earning him a 64.7 defensive grade from Pro Football Focus (61.2 coverage grade).

It was well-known that Kyler Murray and the offense of the Cardinals were going to attack the Rams’ makeshift secondary. The only starter remaining at cornerback was Darious Williams, who also had arguably his best game of the season.

And after seeing the way Murray attacked Long in their first meeting back in Week 4 when the cornerback allowed five catches for 89 yards and a touchdown, leading to his demotion from the starting group, this was an excellent bounce-back performance from the young DB.

Before being thrust back into the starting defense in Week 14, Long was relegated to a bench role after beginning the season as the starting nickel cornerback. But after struggling to replace Troy Hill — who signed with the Cleveland Browns — Long was benched in favor of Rochell and eventually Deayon.

His recent performance likely isn’t going to land him back with the starting defense moving forward. But given the circumstances, Long deserves a ton of credit for how he played to help the Rams secure a massive win over their division rivals, closing the gap in the NFC West.