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Josh Weinfuss, ESPN writer
GLENDALE, Ariz. – Maybe it was because Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray recovered three plays after having his helmet removed on a sack to throw a perfectly placed over-the-shoulder touchdown to wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. .
Maybe it was because Murray had two rushing touchdowns: entering the end zone after a masterful play in one and sliding between two New York Jets defenders in the other.
Maybe it was because he completed 17 consecutive passes to set a Cardinals record. Maybe it was because Murray became the first player in NFL history to complete 85% of his passes with 250 passing yards and two rushing touchdowns.
Or maybe it was because of all that that coach Jonathan Gannon praised Murray after leading the Cardinals to dismantle the Jets 31-6 on Sunday at State Farm Stadium for their fourth straight victory and their fifth in the last six games.
“I think the quarterback was the best player on the planet today,” Gannon said. “And so, congratulations to him.”
Murray did little wrong Sunday under an open roof on a perfect fall afternoon. Even a fumble in the second quarter went well, when the officials declared the play dead and the play was replayed. After missing a pass to tight end Trey McBride in the end zone late in the first quarter, Murray didn’t miss again.
He ran for a 1-yard touchdown on the next play after the Cardinals stacked the offensive line to the right with three additional blockers and then left guard Evan Brown moved to the right to add a fourth, causing the Jets to crash on the line, thinking. Running back James Conner had the ball and was heading to his right. Except Murray made the action fake and ran it to the left intact.
From there, Murray was 12-for-12 for 99 yards and a touchdown in the second quarter, 4-for-4 for 61 yards in the third, and 1-for-1 for 6 yards in the fourth.
“The guys did a great job up front,” Murray said. “My job was just to put the ball in their hands and let them do what they do and try to finish and that’s what I did today. I try to keep it as simple as possible and the guys made plays.
“They made plays for me all day and it’s great to come out and feel how we felt today to be able to execute. I felt like no matter what they did, we had a good day today offensively.”
Murray completed 91.7% of his passes, the second-highest percentage in Cardinals history, trailing only Kurt Warner’s 92.3% in Week 2 of the 2009 season. It was the first time Murray completed the 90% of his passes in the NFL, and the fourth time he reached 70% in a game this season.
Wide receiver Zach Pascal said Murray’s consistency is spreading to the rest of the team.
“You can’t ask for much better than that,” left tackle Paris Johnson said. “Having him back there in full control of the game and his pace is exciting, especially up front.
“I know all five of us were happy to have him in his rhythm, being able to make plays on his feet and in the air.”
When asked if this is the best he has played in a long time, Murray hinted at why he is having these types of performances.
“I told them this is the best I’ve ever felt,” Murray said. “Obviously, having the game taken away from you and being in a system like this, the attention to detail, I say it all the time with [offensive coordinator] Drawing [Petzing]the way he communicates it, there are no gray areas.
“We’re on the same page and year 2 is in the system, I just feel good. The game slowed down. Obviously, it’s my sixth year in the league, so I’m still trying to take it one day at a time and keep playing well.” .
Part of Murray’s success Sunday was because he didn’t have to do it all, Gannon said. But when Murray got the ball, Gannon called it “electric.”
“When he has the ball in his hands, as a defensive player, every time he gets a cross, you hold on to your you-know-what,” Gannon said. “And I thought I didn’t have lights today.”
Murray also showed a side of him that people don’t often see. On first-and-10 from the Jets’ 21-yard line, Jets defensive lineman Quinnen Williams caught him off guard on a sack that caused Murray’s helmet to come off. At first, the sight was terrifying, leaving the crowd of 64,030 unaware of what had just happened. But the 2019 Offensive Rookie of the Year reappeared, put on his helmet, gave a thumbs up and continued without missing a beat.
Murray said he was initially confused after the hit because he didn’t see Williams coming, but while he was on the ground he knew he had to keep the ball secure. Even after the game, Murray still didn’t know how he held the ball.
“It happened very quickly,” he said.
But Murray said he liked the success.
“I’m kind of glad it happened,” he said. “It felt good.”
He later clarified: “I don’t get the chance to get hit like that a lot. I don’t want to get hit like that a lot, but in a sense it got everyone excited and I’m glad nothing bad came of it.” So yeah, it was a good thing.”
Gannon said it’s not a “good look” when the quarterback takes a hit that hard, but said the way he recovered, throwing a dart to McBride two plays later and then the touchdown to Harrison on the next play, spoke of Murray’s toughness.
“It just speaks to his resilience and the way he plays, his mental toughness, his competitive toughness, his mental toughness,” Gannon said. “The guy’s a basketball player, man.”
Showing that side of him was another facet of the game for Murray, right tackle Kelvin Beachum said.
“He’s always been a competitor, but I think being able to see him live and in person, a lot of people haven’t seen it in him,” Beachum said. “So to be able to see that is special.”
The Cardinals head into their bye week at 6-4 entering their final seven games, including four in the NFC West. ESPN Analytics has their schedule ranked as the fourth-easiest in the NFL.
Gannon said: “The season starts now.” And Murray added that Arizona “is not satisfied.”
The offense is going up, Beachum said.
“To be honest, I think there’s still meat on the bone, but I think we’re going in the right direction,” he said. “I think this is a great place for us to go into the break, knowing that we can still clean up some things and then we have to prepare to move forward with this effort competing for the division title and finding a way to put our name in the boat to be in the playoffs.”
