Getty Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray scrambles away from Los Angeles Rams linebacker Kenny Young on Sunday, October 3, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
It was a rough afternoon for Los Angeles Rams linebacker Kenny Young.
While he finished with five tackles in the Rams’ 37-20 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Young ended up on NFL highlight reels for the stops he didn’t make Sunday, October 3. The former UCLA star was tasked at times with spying Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray, and it didn’t go well.
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Case in point: Murray’s 18-yard scramble for a first down on third-and-16 in the second quarter. Young was spying Murray on the play but couldn’t keep up with the Cardinals’ speedy QB, who sprinted to his left and topped 20 mph along the sideline before reaching the first-down marker and stepping out of bounds.
The Kyler Hesi 🔥
.@K1 Speed. Kyler Murray hit 20.07 MPH on this run to pick 18 yards on 3rd & 16 for the #AZCardinals first down. It was the 13th fastest run of Week 4.
It was a momentum-building play for the Cardinals, who capped the drive two plays later with a 1-yard touchdown from James Conner to extend their lead to 21-10 midway through the second quarter.
NFL analyst and former Denver Broncos offensive lineman Mark Schlereth was baffled by the Rams’ decision to use a spy to try to slow down Murray.
“First off, spying Kyler Murray, like, that’s just dumb,” Schlereth told Arizona Sports’ “Bickley & Marotta” on Wednesday, October 6. “I’ve never understood that. ‘Hey, stand flat-footed here, and then if he takes off, you go get him.’ Good luck. I hope that works for you guys.
“I have yet to see that technique work for anybody in the history of the National Football League. I don’t know why you think all of a sudden that’s going to work against Kyler Murray. That’s just stupid,” said Schlereth, a two-time Pro Bowl guard and Super Bowl champion with the Broncos in 1998 and ’99.
Murray turned in his best performance in five games against the Rams and one of his best outings overall in his young NFL career. The third-year pro completed 24 of 32 passes for 268 yards and two touchdowns — and no interceptions — as the Cardinals improved to 4-0 and dealt the Rams their first loss of the season.
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Keeping Kyler Murray in the Pocket
Schlereth contends the Rams would have had a better chance at containing Murray with a “mush rush” strategy, essentially telling the defense, “Guys, nobody is going to get a sack,” he said.
“You have to change your mental approach to the game. Sacks are not important. What’s important is disrupting passing lanes and constricting the pocket so he can’t get out,” Schlereth said. “And make him throw from the pocket.”
While Murray is comfortable making throws from the pocket and can be successful there too, the Cardinals QB creates bigger problems for defenses when plays break down and he improvises, Schlereth said.
“When things break down, that’s where that guy’s at his best,” he said. “You run in there scot-free and you think you’re going to get him, (but) you’re not. He’s just going to make you miss, and that’s when it gets dangerous. That’s when some of these explosive (plays) in the passing game happen.”
Murray and the Cardinals have had a lot of success this season turning those broken/off-schedule plays into positive yardage and even touchdowns, as they did twice against the Minnesota Vikings.
The “scramble drill” is a regular part of Cardinals practices, with receivers having designated spots on the field they’re supposed to get to when plays break down.
“(Murray’s) field vision and understanding where all his guys are when things do break down and his accuracy on those things, it’s been incredible,” Schlereth said.
Murray didn’t make many mistakes against the Rams and escaped SoFi Stadium without a turnover. It was the first game this season without an interception for Murray, who finished with a quarterback rating of 120.3.
The 24-year-old QB also carried six times for 39 yards in the game as the Cardinals snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Rams (3-1).
Murray struggled in his previous four games against the Rams, throwing four interceptions while averaging 187 passing yards and a passer rating of 75.8.
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‘That’s Just Dumb’: Super Bowl Champ Rips Rams’ Plan Vs. Cardinals’ Kyler Murray