Arizona Cardinals rookie film room: 5 plays that define Kyler Murray

Play 1: Vs. FAU, 1st quarter, 8:31 remaining, 2nd & 8

What the offense is running: RPO play out of the shotgun with the slot running a deep cross route and the outside receivers running deep comeback routes.

What the defense is running: MIKE blitz, four-man pressure. Two deep-man coverage (Cover 2).

What happens: This play is broken from the get-go. The strongside tight end whiffs his block, which, in turn, gives Murray immediate pressure. Although the RPO is a quick-read, the defender is an arm-length away, in turn forcing Murray to run.

Yes, the run was amazing; he avoided pressure easily and frankly, made a lot of players look bad. He simply ran laps around the defense. But, it’s key to watch happens before he runs. He’s looking downfield, with his shoulders square, like he’s going to pass the ball. That’s impressive, despite the pressure in his face, Murray, a dual-threat quarterback, goes pass first then run.

Some may say Murray should’ve run immediately. While the result at the end of the pay is a run, he was smart to go pass-first. Why? Because it’s an RPO, a remarkably quick-developing play, he could’ve had a wide receiver wide-open, and that’s ultimately what he checked for.

Takeaways:

• He’s not run-first, he shows just that here. Although he’s an amazing talent with the ball in his hands, he’s looking down the field first – really, really smart play.
• You can tell he’s coached well. He could’ve had a highlight from the get-go but he stayed disciplined until the last second.
• Quick-thinking and awareness; this is obvious, the entire play happens really fast. For most quarterback’s this would be a sack, but not Kyler, he’s so aware of his surroundings.
• Natural running talent is apparent. Kyler is special with the ball in his hands, most football players, no matter the position, just don’t have that combination of speed, burst, and agility.