ARIZONA CARDINALS

Kyler Murray posts 3 TDs, makes sensational plays in Cardinals win

Sep 20, 2020, 6:50 PM | Updated: 8:19 pm

Kyler Murray #1 of the Arizona Cardinals prepares for a game against the Washington Football Team a...

Kyler Murray #1 of the Arizona Cardinals prepares for a game against the Washington Football Team at State Farm Stadium on September 20, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)

(Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)

Kyler Murray was a gamechanger for the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday and it was the difference-maker in a 30-15 win over the Washington Football Team.

Murray was 26 of 38 throwing the ball for 286 yards and one touchdown, but for the second straight week, he made the biggest impact on the ground.

The second-year quarterback continues to look like a young signal-caller who trusts his legs more. Murray rushed eight times for 67 yards and two touchdowns.

Through two games, Murray has 158 rushing yards and three touchdowns. It’s the first time in league history that a quarterback has posted those rushing numbers through two games, and he’s on pace to set the rushing record for a quarterback.

Pro Bowl wideout DeAndre Hopkins illustrated after the game why Murray’s running ability affects defenses so much.

“He adds a different dynamic to this offense when he can go and score from 20, 30 yards out,” he said. “It’s something that is hard for defenders to be able to attack when you have a quarterback like that that’s looking to score, not just get the first down.”

Murray put it rather succinctly himself.

“That’s the dynamic that we have in this offense because I’m able to move. It’s a blessing to be able to move fast,” he said.

That type of play Hopkins mentioned was Murray’s second touchdown of the day from 21 yards out.

In the fourth quarter with Arizona up 20-3, Murray scrambled out to the left side of the field and had the daylight to move straight up the field to get vertical.

That’s pretty much curtains for almost any defense, as Murray put on display when he froze Washington’s Troy Apke with some quick feet to find the endzone.

“Once I got a guy 1-on-1, I like my chances,” Murray said.

His first score on the ground wasn’t too shabby, either. At the close of the first quarter, it looked like Murray was going to run out of room near the first-down marker.

Instead, he exploded through a small hole that emerged, making Apke once again look like he had absolutely zero chance of making a tackle.

Murray said all year long during his rookie season that he needed to be able to assess defenses more before he felt good enough to be more mobile, and it certainly looks like he’s reached that threshold.

“It’s more comfortable for me to make something happen,” he said.

While the consistency of that playmaking is something new in a Cardinals uniform, head coach Kliff Kingsbury is more than used to it.

“I’ve watched that since he was 15 years old, and that was a part of his game last year that he was feeling out,” he said. “He’s running more aggressively, he’s getting vertical more.

“That was a point of emphasis for us, because he is one of the most dangerous people probably in the league when he’s in the open field like that.”

Sounds pretty enjoyable for a head coach to watch unfold, right? Not for Kingsbury. Well, at least not in real time.

“I’m always just saying, ‘Get down get down get down get down get down get down,'” Kingsbury said. “So I can’t even enjoy it honestly. The next day I enjoy the runs.”

Murray made big plays with his arm too. He found Andy Isabella for 54 yards, and also Christian Kirk for another 49.

Murray’s first touchdown of the day was to Hopkins, who the Football Team lost in red zone coverage early, an early indicator they were not positioned well for success on Sunday.

Arizona scored the first 20 points of the game and held a 20-0 lead at the half. While the Washington offense did find some semblance of a rhythm in the second half, that cushion was enough for the Cardinals to start the year 2-0.

The cushion, though, was necessary because the Cardinals offense certainly left opportunities on the board. Kingsbury went as far as to call it a “work in progress” for Murray.

Considering what the end result still was, that’s gotta be a terrifying reality for the teams the Cardinals will face the next few weeks.

“I feel like we’re not really scratching the surface yet,” Murray said. “I feel like there’s a lot of work to be done.”

Presented By
Western Governors University
Arizona Cardinals running back Chase Edmonds (29) is stopped by Washington Football Team linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Washington Football Team strong safety Landon Collins (26) intercepts a pass intended for Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb) Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) throws as Washington Football Team defensive end Ryan Kerrigan (91) and defensive tackle Matthew Ioannidis (98) pursue during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb) Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) gets the pass away as Washington Football Team defensive end Montez Sweat (90) pursues during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) tries to elude Washington Football Team safety Kamren Curl (31) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Cardinals linebacker Chandler Jones (55) celebrates his fumble recovery against the Washington Football Team with Zeke Turner (47) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb) Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) is sacked by Washington Football Team inside linebacker Jon Bostic (53) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald (11) is tackled by Washington Football Team cornerback Jimmy Moreland (20) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb) Washington Football Team Steven Sims (15) tries to elude Arizona Cardinals Trent Sherfield (16) on a kick off return during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb) Arizona Cardinals cornerback Kevin Peterson (27) hits Washington Football Team wide receiver Steven Sims (15) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb) Washington Football Team quarterback Dwayne Haskins (7) throws during the second half of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Washington Football Team cornerback Fabian Moreau (25) grabs Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) runs for a touchdown as Washington Football Team inside linebacker Jon Bostic (53) pursues during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb) Arizona Cardinals running back Kenyan Drake (41) can't escape the grasp of Washington Football Team linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb) Washington Football Team wide receiver Antonio Gandy-Golden (10) is hit by Arizona Cardinals outside linebacker De'Vondre Campbell and safety Chris Banjo (31) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Washington Football Team running back Antonio Gibson (24) looks to run against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb) Washington Football Team head coach Ron Rivera and strong safety Landon Collins (26) stand during the national anthem prior to an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Washington Football Team running back Antonio Gibson (24) runs for a touchdown as Arizona Cardinals outside linebacker Devon Kennard (42) defends during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb) Washington Football Team quarterback Dwayne Haskins (7) is brought down by Arizona Cardinals defensive end Jordan Phillips (97) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb) Washington Football Team running back Antonio Gibson (24) scores a touchdown as Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson (21) defends during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb) Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) leaves the field after an NFL football game against the Washington Football Team, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals won 30-15. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) GLENDALE, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 20: Quarterback Kyler Murray #1 of the Arizona Cardinals runs with the football en route to scoring a 14 yard rushing touchdown against the Washington Football Team during the first half of the NFL game at State Farm Stadium on September 20, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) GLENDALE, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 20: Kyler Murray #1 of the Arizona Cardinals prepares for a game against the Washington Football Team at State Farm Stadium on September 20, 2020 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) Arizona Cardinals running back Chase Edmonds (29) is stopped by Washington Football Team linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin) Washington Football Team strong safety Landon Collins (26) intercepts a pass intended for Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (10) during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)

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