There was a moment in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Jets when it looked like things might not work out for Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray.
Jets linebacker Quincy Williams was unblocked off Murray’s blindside and he crushed Murray with a hit that sent his helmet flying. Murray lost the ball as well, but fell on top of it to ensure the Jets wouldn’t take possession and then flashed a smile before continuing his evisceration of the AFC East team.
Murray hit Marvin Harrison Jr. for a touchdown a couple of plays later and ended the 31-6 win with 17 straight completions to set a franchise record. He also ran for two touchdowns and became the first player in NFL history to complete at least 85 percent of his passes for at least 250 yards while also running for two touchdowns. It was the kind of performance that made it easy for head coach Jonathan Gannon to engage in hyperbole.
“I think you saw the stat line,” Gannon said, via the team’s website. “The quarterback was the best player on the planet today.”
The Cardinals have gone two weeks without allowing a touchdown while the offense hums along well enough to have them in possession of first place in the NFC West heading into their bye week. That’s a good place to be midway through the season and the team’s continued progress gives reason to think that even better things can happen in their final seven games of the year.
