There is a certain mystique about AT&T Stadium. It’s big. It’s brash. It’s Jerry’s World.
Or is it?
Kyler Murray improved his personal record to a perfect 8-0 at the monstrosity in Arlington, Texas. The venue, which opened in 2009, has hosted the Cardinals three times. Arizona has won all three meetings.
Not only did a victory in Texas end the Cardinals’ three-game losing streak, but it seemed to have rejuvenated both players and coaches in a fashion we had not seen from this team in nearly a month.
For Kliff Kingsbury, outside of a questionable two-point conversion, he called a masterful game. He stuck with the running game. Arizona’s 32 rushing attempts were their highest in the past four weeks. He called for a fake kick, prompting confusion on the Dallas sideline which caused them to burn an early timeout, one they could not use later to challenge a questionable fumble by Chase Edmonds. He also disguised plays by putting Kyler Murray under center an unprecedented number of times, leaving the Cowboys confounded on defense.
For Kyler Murray, the visit to his home state restored his swagger, showing a confidence not present since his return from injury. Even as the pocket was collapsing around him, Murray stayed poised and delivered with efficiency. Murray had his highest completion rate (68.42%), yards per attempt (7.97), and quarterback rating (105.5) in nearly a month.
This is the type of game we had been waiting for. The 7-0 Cardinals were not a fluke. The 7-0 version of Kyler Murray was not a fluke. When they are laser-focused, this is who they can be. This is who they are.
Credit to the defense as well. Vance Joseph dialed up a myriad of looks that confused the Cowboys’ offense. They harassed Dak Prescott with 17 pressures, four batted balls and three fumbles, recovering one. The run defense swarmed Ezekiel Elliot, limiting him to a putrid 16 yards on nine carries and a 1.8-yard per-carry average. All were season lows.
But the real story here is Kyler Murray. This was the early season, 7-0 version we all knew was there. He just needed to be unleashed again.
Maybe it was the absence of pressure, having secured a playoff berth. Maybe it was the return to his home state of Texas. Whatever the reason, it was exactly what both Murray and the team needed.
The Cardinals will go as far as Murray can take them. Now that the beast has been released, NFC opponents beware.
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