Growing pains continue for Murray in second year with Cardinals

Kyler Murray has MVP-caliber talent and a laundry list of honors to his name but like any young quarterback there are hiccups.

Indeed, the Arizona Cardinals’ second-year field general has shown flashes of brilliance in his year-plus in the NFL. After being selected first overall in the 2019 draft, the 23-yearold former Oklahoma Sooner proved his worth right out of the gate, passing for 308 yards and two touchdowns as he rallied the Cards from a 16-point deficit to a 27-27 tie with the Detroit Lions in his first NFL start.

Four more 300-plus-yard games would follow that year for Murray as he finished with 3,722 yards passing, a team record for a rookie, but he was also plagued by the interception – 12 of them. Still, in leading the Cards to a 7-8-1 record, he won AP Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.

So far, 2020 has followed the same script – glimpses of greatness punctuated by mistakes. That was on display in Arizona’s Week 3 game against the Lions, as Murray faked cornerback Jeff Okudah out of his shoes on an impressive one-yard touchdown run but was picked off three times – all deep in Cardinal territory, leading to 10 Detroit points – as the Cards suffered their first loss of the season by a score of 26-23. So far through three games, his interceptions (5) outnumber his touchdowns (4).

Such mistakes are to be expected from a second-year QB but the if the Cards are to make a run in a tough NFC West, they’ll need Murray to keep them to a minimum.

Murray and the Cardinals can be seen in action Monday, Oct., 19, when they pay a visit to the Dallas Cowboys in a game airing on ESPN.