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Who benefits most from Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray’s return
TEMPE — It’s a big week in the desert for quarterback Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals.
If all goes well at practice, Murray will make his 2023 debut against the Atlanta Falcons nearly 11 months removed from tearing his ACL last December.
There’s bound to be rust, but at the end of the day, the QB should put the Cardinals in a better spot to compete following a 1-8 start.
A look at the players, coaches and areas of the Xs and Os that benefit the most from Murray getting back in the saddle:
Hello, old friend
Cardinals No. 1 wide receiver Hollywood Brown has quietly put together a strong 2023 campaign despite the evident inconsistencies at quarterback nine weeks into the season
Overthrows and misreads on wide-open looks have seemingly been a weekly occurrence for the wideout, though Brown still paces Arizona’s pass catchers in receiving yards (440), catches (42) and touchdowns (four).
Getting his best friend in Murray back in the fold should only help Brown’s production and consistency moving forward in a contract year.
“I feel like with him getting back, it’s a chance to see what we got, what we can do and as an offense keep growing, keep learning each other,” Brown said Wednesday.
While they only got seven full games together last season, the duo still linked up for 531 yards and three scores on 49 receptions (72 targets).
If not for injuries to both Brown and Murray, the wideout was well on his way to his second 1,000-yard season.
And although he’s got some ground to make up to hit that mark in 2023, Murray’s return makes it that much more doable for the impending free agent.
Wait… What?
Murray’s return, rusty or not, is expected to boost Arizona’s offense.
But not talked about as much is the defensive benefits of having the franchise QB back in the mix.
Time and time again this season, the Cardinals defense has visibly outplayed the offense in most meetings only to run out of gas at some point or another.
Take last week’s 27-0 loss against the Cleveland Browns for example. The Cardinals defense held a dominant rushing offense in check, allowing just 2.8 yards per carry on the ground.
With the offense producing an ugly 58 total yards and recording nearly as many punts (seven) as first downs (nine), however, the unit did little favors for the defense, especially when looking at time of possession.
When the dust settled in Week 9, Cleveland had the ball for 36:25 compared to Arizona at 23:35.
Even for a unit built around rotations, that’s a lot of time on the field.
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