It's Trace McSorley time for the Arizona Cardinals this week vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Trace McSorley is in line for his first career NFL start in a regular season game when he takes the field at quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals on Christmas night against the the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Drafted in 2019 by the Baltimore Ravens, McSorley, 27, has appeared in just six NFL games over his four seasons in the league. While Sunday will be his fourth appearance for the Cardinals this season, it's about to be his first start with Kyler Murray's season over due to a knee injury and Colt McCoy in concussion protocol and ruled out on Wednesday by Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury.
McCoy left the game in the third quarter at Denver last Sunday, and McSorley was pressed into action. It didn't go as well as McSorley and the Cardinals had hoped, as McSorley had two passes intercepted and led two scoring drives. That wasn't enough to beat the Broncos in a 24-15 loss.
"It's hard not to think about you the opportunity that's here that's kind of presented itself. You don't want to get it kind of how it's happened with guys going down with some injuries and stuff, but just go about it one day at a time, focusing on things and controlling things I can control," McSorley said. "But then, you know, at some point, it's an exciting opportunity. And I just want to let myself feel that excitement and feel that a little bit just so I can enjoy the moment. But at the same time just being focused and ready to go."
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So on Christmas, with the living legend Tom Brady at quarterback for the opposition and with his parents and sister in attendance, McSorley gets his moment.
"Definitely for the first start it would feel good to know that they're there," McSorley said of his family "Honestly, more for them. I know if they weren't here they would be freaking out at home."
McSorley gets this week to run the first-team offense. As the No. 3 quarterback he never got snaps with the offensive starters in practice and only a few as a backup, but now will be getting to know his receivers' preferences and tendencies better prior to Sunday.
Cardinals wide receiver A.J. Green said he just wants McSorley to have fun.
"Go out there and play, no pressure. Just go out there and put good plays out there and build off it," Green said.
During the preseason, McSorley earned the No. 3 quarterback job with his accuracy and ability to scramble for positive yards, given plenty of opportunity with Murray and McCoy not playing. That's what led the Cardinals to bring him back even after releasing him before the season.
"That's why he's here. You know, we like what we've seen at times. We've just got to protect the ball on a couple of those throws, but he's been in the game in some very adverse situations so far," Kingsbury said. "And I want to see him start a game and see kind of how he carries himself and how he performs."
McSorley is also taking time to work with the new backup quarterback for the Cardinals, David Blough.
"Working with him has been great. We've sat and watch tape together. And for me, it kind of helps me to learn things even a little bit deeper to kind of take on the, I don't want to say a teaching role. But if he's asking me questions, I kind of got to be able to have those answers for him," McSorley said. "So it's making me stay on top of my game and the game plan and everything that I've got going on."
McSorley has had a front row, sideline view seat for all of the struggles the Cardinals have had on offense this season, and he offered his take on what he's seen.
"We've got to be detailed and execute. Those have kind of been our biggest issues, is having negative plays, getting behind the sticks early and then we're putting ourselves in bad situations, whether it's an alignment issue, assignment, execution during the play, or even if it's just trying to do too much," McSorley said.
A win at State Farm Stadium in the Cardinals' 2022 home finale would be McSorley's first at the stadium since the 2017 Fiesta Bowl, when he quarterbacked Penn State to a Fiesta Bowl win over Washington and was named the game's Offensive MVP.
Quick outs
Kingsbury was asked about being at the late Mike Leach's memorial service at Mississippi State University on Tuesday. He mentioned many coaches and players Leach mentored who spoke. "It was great to see just other lives he touched. ... It was a special day."
OL Kelvin Beachum and CBs Marco Wilson and Antonio Hamilton are day-to-day, Kingsbury said. Beach (knee and ankle injuries) and Hamilton (back) did not take part in Wednesday's walk-thru and Wilson (neck) was limited.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Arizona Cardinals' Trace McSorley front and center on Christmas night
