Kyler Murray expects to begin his first sport of the season at quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals this weekend after recovering from a severe knee damage.
Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray final December earlier than a knee damage ended his season. (Picture: USA At present Sports activities)
The Cardinals (1-8) host the Atlanta Falcons (4-5) on Sunday. Even with Murray anticipated to play in Week 10, the Cardinals are a +1.5 residence underdog towards the Falcons.
The Falcons are one of many worst betting groups within the NFL this season, with a 2-7 document towards the purpose unfold. The Cardinals have a good betting document with a 4-5 ATS clip, contemplating they’ve gained just one sport this season.
Murray suffered a noncontact knee damage final December towards the New England Patriots and underwent reconstructive surgical procedure to restore a torn ACL in January.
I’m sort of impassive,” Murray mentioned in a latest press convention. “Not making an attempt to get too excessive, get too low. It’s been a protracted, lengthy 10 months.”
Murray takes over with the Cardinals amidst a six-game shedding streak. The Cardinals upset the Dallas Cowboys in Week 3 after they misplaced shut matchups within the first two video games of the season. The victory towards Dallas was their first and solely win of the season.
The Cardinals shook up the group within the low season. They fired head coach Kliff Kingsbury and parted methods with basic supervisor Steve Keim. They employed Jonathan Gannon, the previous defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles, to switch Kingsbury. Additionally they tapped Monti Ossenfort to take over as their new basic supervisor.
Cardinals QB Shuffle
The Cardinals shuffled quarterbacks earlier than the common season started. Veteran Colt McCoy began two preseason video games earlier than the Cardinals went in a unique route at quarterback. The Cardinals reduce McCoy and purchased Josh Dobbs in a commerce with the Cleveland Browns simply earlier than the season started.
Dobbs went 1-7 as a starter earlier than the Cardinals traded him to the Minnesota Vikings after Kirk Cousins went down with a torn Achilles.
Rookie Clayton Tune was the backup quarterback behind Dobbs. After Dobbs headed to the Twin Cities in a commerce, Tune earned his first begin in Week 9. The Browns shut out the Cardinals, 27-0 final week, and Tune struggled in his NFL debut.
Tune will return to his function as a backup in Week 10 with Murray slated because the starter.
With out Murray, the Cardinal have the fifth-lowest scoring offense within the NFL, averaging 16.8 factors per sport. Their aerial assault generated solely 162.7 yards per sport, which is the second-worst within the NFL.
The New York Giants just lately misplaced quarterback Daniel Jones to a season-ending ACL damage, they usually’re the one workforce that averages fewer passing yards (155.0) than the Cardinals.
Murray is keen to get again into the lineup and justify his exorbitant wage. Earlier than the 2022 season started, Murray signed a five-year contract extension value $230.5 million.
Murray Thrilled to Get off Injured Reserve
Murray will get an opportunity to play his first sport underneath Gannon. Former head coach Kingsbury and Murray clashed at completely different moments throughout their tenure collectively.
“We see issues the identical method,” Murray mentioned about Gannon. “The competitiveness is there, and he loves the sport. I do know he loves the sport. He understands the sport. We simply see eye to eye.”
Gannon needed followers to stay cautious and never count on Murray to seem like his former self in his first sport again.
We acquired to be keen to know that it may not seem like Kyler, and he’s acquired a superb expectation of that,” Gannon instructed reporters on Monday.
In his first 4 seasons in Arizona, Murray began 54 video games and posted a 25-31-1 document. Over his profession, Murray has 84 passing touchdowns and 23 dashing touchdowns.
Previous to his damage final season, Murray threw for 14 touchdowns and a couple of,368 yards in 11 video games. He had a completion fee of 66.4% and tossed seven interceptions. He additionally rushed for 3 touchdowns.
Murray handed for at the least 3,700 yards and 20 touchdowns in every of his first three seasons. In 2020, Murray posted the very best season of his profession with 3,971 passing yards and 26 touchdowns. He additionally scored 11 dashing touchdowns and racked up 819 dashing yards in 133 carries that season.
The Cardinals chosen Murray with the #1 choose within the 2019 NFL Draft. He was a two-sport star at Oklahoma who had additionally been drafted by the Oakland A’s. He determined to play within the NFL as a substitute of toiling within the A’s minor-league system.
