Kyler Murray draws comparison to ‘a great boxer’ from Sean McVay
Lamar Jackson is the only quarterback to carry the ball more often than Kyler Murray this season, but no quarterback has more rushing yards than the Cardinals’ signal-caller. Murray has rushed for 650 yards on 97 attempts, scoring 10 touchdowns on the ground.
Given the importance of the quarterback position, it’s always risky for a passer to tuck the ball and run, but when you’re as electric and elusive as Murray is, it’s a weapon. What makes it less risky for Murray to carry the ball as much as he has is his ability to avoid hits.
Sure, he’s been popped a few times, but rarely does a defender get a clean shot on the former No. 1 overall pick. That attribute of Murray’s game has caught the attention of Sean McVay, who compared him to a great boxer.
“What I’m so impressed with is his ability to slip punches,” McVay said Wednesday. “Usually you see guys that run the football and carry as much as him, they’re taking a lot of shots. He just has such a great way about being able to slip those punches, almost like a great boxer. You never saw Floyd Mayweather really get caught. That’s kind of how I look at him, but then he’s got the speed and athleticism like (Michael) Vick to be able to run away from you. You see some of the runs that he’s making against All-Pro-type of players and he’s running away, separating. Sometimes you’re watching and you’re saying, ‘Holy, this is a joke, man. I can’t believe we got to freaking defend this guy.’ But as a fan of the game, this guy’s awesome. Not looking forward to having to play him twice a year, but I do know that our defense is excited about the challenge. He’s a great player. He’s a great quarterback.”
Murray is listed on the injury report with a shoulder issue, which limited him in practice Wednesday. He hasn’t missed a game yet this season, though, nor did he miss any time last year, either.
And even when Murray isn’t taking off and running, he succeeds from the pocket. That has also left McVay impressed, recognizing his intelligence in the pocket and as a quarterback overall.
“When you watch him, the one thing that stands out is this guy’s playing the quarterback position at a high level,” he said. “He can stand in there, he can recognize coverage, he can progress through things. When he ends up breaking contains, he’s keeping his eyes down the field. And then when he is activated as a runner, he’s a great quarterback that has amazing running skills.”
The Rams beat Murray and the Cardinals twice last season, but this is a much-improved team from the one L.A. played last year – and that has a lot to do with Murray.
