The expectations that come with being the top pick in the NFL Draft are naturally high and Kyler Murray is no exception. The Arizona Cardinals are starting to see the unique potential that Murray can bring to the table.
The greatest portrayal of Murray's potential came during the Cardinals' 34-33 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. He ended his performance by going 27-of-37 on his throws for 340 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions. He threw with strong accuracy while managing to get his team into the end-zone through the air like never before.
The performance that Murray produced against the Cardinals was a game of firsts and his best in nearly every major category. He set a new career-high in completion percentage (73.0), average yards per completion (9.3 yards), touchdown passes (three), longest touchdown pass (58 yards), passer rating (128.2), and quarterback rating (78.8).
The Cardinals managed to exceed 30 points as a team for the first time since the start of the Murray era. Their previous top scoring display from this season was their regular-season opener against the Detroit Lions when they had 27 points. Managing to raise their scoring totals to end the season would provide a great reason for optimism for the future of their offense.
It was the first showing of Murray's career where he threw multiple touchdowns without an interception. He even became just the sixth rookie quarterback in NFL history to record at least 325 passing yards, three touchdowns, and no interception with a completion percentage above 70 percent in a game. There isn't much more to ask than for a dynamic impact with minimal mistakes.
Managing to move the chains using his arm has not been a problem for Murray. He became the third quarterback in NFL history to record at least three performances with 300 passing yards within their initial six career games. The next step for Murray and the Cardinals will be to improve their 41.7 percent red-zone touchdown percentage (30th).
Kyler Murray is one of just six players in NFL history with at least three 300-yard passing performances in their first six career games.
Sounds like @Pepsi Rookie of the Week material to us.
— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) October 15, 2019
A particularly impressive play that put Murray's dual-threat potential on full display was his game-clinching five-yard run against the Falcons. He managed to reach a speed of 20.09 mph at the fastest point of the run. For reference, that was the same speed that wide receiver Damiere Byrd ran on his 58-yard catch.
Kyler Murray reached a speed of 20.09 mph on his game-clinching 5-yard run, per @NextGenStats. Same speed as Damiere Byrd on his 58-yard catch. https://t.co/9fWv0rIZ5Z
— Kyle Odegard (@Kyle_Odegard) October 15, 2019
The Cardinals are riding a two-game winning streak after beginning the season with a 0-3-1 record through Week 4. The team and their franchise-quarterback have managed to showcase impressive growth that they should look to build off going forward.
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