PFF: Kyler Murray was among best NFL deep passers in 2019
May 19, 2020, 5:06 PM | Updated: 6:05 pm
Kyler Murray #1 of the Arizona Cardinals throws the ball down field while being chased by Adrian Clayborn #99 of the Atlanta Falcons at State Farm Stadium on October 13, 2019 in Glendale, Arizona. Cardinals won 34-33. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
(Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)
He was just a rookie, but Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray’s ability to throw the deep ball was ranked among the top 10 quarterbacks by one website’s measurements.
Pro Football Focus ranked Murray as the sixth-best passer of throws at least 20 yards downfield.
The website said that on these passes, Murray had a completion percentage of 41.9% and a 94.5 passer rating.
He was the second rookie on the list, behind Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Gardner Minshew, who was No. 3.
From PFF:
“Kyler Murray showed well despite not having a huge amount of help when it came to receiving weapons deep down the field.”
The Cardinals’ wide receiver corps looks a lot better right now than it did last season.
The Cardinals could not find a reliable option behind Larry Fitzgerald and Christian Kirk, and the receivers with the third- and fourth-most yards on the team — Damiere Byrd and Pharoh Cooper — are no longer on the Cardinals.
Player Profiler added some extra context. That site said Murray’s supporting cast efficiency had a rating of negative-1.90, which was No. 20 in the league.
It also said Murray had the sixth-best deep ball completion percentage at 44.3%. The difference between that percentage and the one PFF gave may be caused by a difference of some passes cited by one as a deep pass and one as not quite 20 yards.
PlayerProfile said he attempted 70-such passes while PFF credited him for just 62.
PFF wrote:
Murray’s deep pass was one of his strengths in college, and he showed that it should still be a notable strength in the NFL, especially if his receivers can win more consistently on the outside and give him more reliable places to go with the football.
Additionally, while his decision-making still needs work as he gets used to pro football, Murray doesn’t take many big risks when he airs out the ball. According to Pro Football Focus, he only had two turnover-worthy plays out of the 62 deep throws the site calculated.
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson is the top quarterback on the list, followed by Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.
Minshew, Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (2018 numbers were used for him) are Nos. 3, 4 and 5.
Surprisingly, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is No. 9 on Pro Football Focus’ list.
