Cardinals QB Kyler Murray led NFL in no-huddle passing yards in 2019
Jun 21, 2020, 6:01 PM | Updated: 9:30 pm
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) throws a pass against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Nov. 10, 2019, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
(AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
The Arizona Cardinals brought head coach Kliff Kingsbury and quarterback Kyler Murray together to bully the opposition by moving the chains quickly and efficiently.
While there’s still work to be done following the duo’s inaugural season of 5-10-1, the rookie QB showed he could hang among the NFL ranks.
And in some cases, outshine his fellow signal-callers as the newcomer led the NFL in no-huddle passing yards in 2019.
Murray beat out the likes of the Dallas Cowboys’ Dak Prescott, the Los Angeles Rams’ Jared Goff and the Tennessee Titans’ Ryan Tannehill with 1,554 yards through the air.
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The Cardinals QB completed 70.2% (137-of-195) of his passes and threw five touchdowns and three interceptions.
Both Murray’s QBR (96.0) and completion percentage are better while working the no-huddle offense. His yards per passing attempt also saw an increase from working out of the huddle (6.2), bumping up to 8.0.
His touchdown numbers, however, were drastically different, with Murray scoring three times more through the air coming out of the huddle (15). His sack totals also saw a jump, getting sacked 34 times compared to just 14 while running the no-huddle offense.
Murray added another 215 yards and three scores on the ground on 28 carries. He has more touchdowns running the ball coming out of a no-huddle than otherwise (1).
It’s evident that Kingsbury trusts his QB to make quick decisions.
While some of the yardage can be could be attributed to late-game situations, in the team’s no-huddle offense, starting running back Kenyan Drake ran the ball just 28 times for 109 yards and two touchdowns last season, with the majority of the carries coming as a member of the Cardinals after getting traded midseason by the Miami Dolphins.
Coming out of the huddle, the RB saw way more success, rushing for 708 yards and six scores on 142 carries (5.0 yards per attempt).
If Murray can improve on his touchdown to INT ratio, and if the team adds in a few more run plays to keep the defense guessing, the QB should see continued success in Year 2.
