On Sunday, Kyler Murray is making his return against the (4-5) Atlanta Falcons after missing the first nine games of the season as he recovered from a torn ACL. Murray’s return is highly anticipated but will he play the same style that made him a two-time Probowler? Cardinals’ offensive coordinator Drew Petzing addressed that question.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!#AZCardinals OC Drew Petzing on if there is going to be a limit on Kyler Murray’s contributions in the run game right out of the gates:
“Ultimately, no. … He’s going to do what’s going to put us in the best position to win the game.” pic.twitter.com/u68ZEHAl3I
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) November 7, 2023
Coming into the 2019 NFL Draft, one of the concerns about Murray was his size or lack thereof. Murray is listed at 5’10”, 207 pounds. The lack of size makes it hard for smaller quarterbacks to complete passes in the pocket when surrounded by offensive lineman who are very big. A lot of Murray’s highlights are of him making plays outside of the pocket. Plays like the famous “Hail Murray” doesn’t happen without his incredible scrambling ability.
Posting a Kyler Murray highlight every day until he plays. Day Twelve:
pic.twitter.com/aGoO5mHaYf— Jason Hayes (@JasonHayesNFL) November 2, 2023
What does Murray do to defenses?
Murray’s best season as a starter was the 2020 season. He threw for 3971 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Murray was also able to run for 819 yards and 11 touchdowns. The ability he has to be a threat on the ground and through the air put defenses in a very tough position.
Here’s just over a minute of Kyler Murray on designed QB runs and read option plays to start the day #fridaymorning pic.twitter.com/hUNallCpCO
— Run The Damn Ball 🏈 (@Run_TheDamnBall) July 10, 2020
All of the news coming from the Cardinals is that Murray is 100% and looks like his old self. The biggest part of coming back from a major injury is the belief in your body. Does Murray trust that his body won’t let him down? Will he be ready to take off when the line isn’t able to block.
Potential Concerns For Murray
The offensive line has not looked great in the first nine games of the season. Joshua Dobbs was sacked 17 times in the first eight games. Clayton Tune was sacked seven times in his only start. This is not all on the offensive line. The quarterback is responsible for getting rid of the ball on time or leaving the pocket in a timely fashion.
The Atlanta Falcons are one of the best teams in the NFL at generating pressure on opposing teams. They pressure the quarterback on 27.7% of their defensive snaps which if fourth best in the NFL. If Murray isn’t ready to move like he normally does, it will be exposed early in this game.
Charles Barkley: ‘Right Now Is the Most Important Time In Kyler Murray’s Career.’
