Cardinals confirm reason behind Jeremiyah Love’s lack of involvement in passing game

When Arizona Cardinals running back Jeremiyah Love was coming out of college, he was billed as a true three-down back who could catch the ball out of the backfield. However, five games into his career, Love hasn’t been used much in the passing game, with the No. 3 overall pick averaging less than three targets per contest and having just 36 receiving yards in that span. That left many wondering why Love wasn’t being utilized more as a pass-catcher, and that’s a question the Cardinals answered on Friday. When speaking to reporters, head coach Matt LaFleur revealed that Love’s ankle injury that he has been playing though has prevented Love from seeing more work as a pass-catcher. MORE: Updated list of draft picks for Cardinals after Harrison Jr. trade “LaFleur acknowledged big reason Jeremiyah Love hasn’t been big part of passing game has been ankle and inability to run routes,” Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com relayed. “Love will be used more as receiver when he can make cuts/run routes.” The Cardinals could certainly use Love’s receiving skills in the wake of the trade of Marvin Harrison Jr. , which leaves Arizona with one less pass-catcher in the offense. Jeremiyah Love ruled out for Week 6 After trying to fight through his ankle injury for weeks now, the Cardinals have decided to hold Love out for Week 6 against the Los Angeles Rams after he failed to practice all week . “You guys see the way he cuts, like just being candid, he cuts hard,” LaFleur explained. “That’s a superpower of his. And when he’s putting his left foot in the ground, it’s just not right right now. To get him to be to his best ability, (sitting him) is what’s right so he can go out and perform the way that he wants.” Love has no doubt struggled, with the Notre Dame product tallying 245 yards and one score on 3.7 yards per carry. MORE: Cardinals reveal plans for rookie Carson Beck Poor blocking upfront has played a role in that, no doubt, but playing at less than 100% hasn’t helped, either. Now, Love will get a full week to recover instead of trying to get healthy on the fly, something he clearly wasn’t able to do. How Cardinals will replace Love in Week 6 Tyler Allgeier is going to get the nod as the Cardinals’ starter with Love on the shelf, and Bam Knight will be the back to spell him. The Rams present a favorable matchup for Allgeier and the Cardinals’ rushing attack, with Los Angeles giving up 128.4 rushing yards per game, the seventh-worst mark in the NFL. Allgeier is a definite starting option in fantasy football, both because of his expected volume and the favorable matchup, although game script will be a concern because the Rams could blow Arizona out. — Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —