The New England Patriots will take on the Arizona Cardinals next Monday night in a game that will pit them against one of the league’s more electric quarterbacks, Kyler Murray.
To no one’s surprise, Patriots coach Bill Belichick had high praise for Murray ahead of the matchup between the two teams.
Murray has faced the Patriots one other time back in November 2020. He went 23-of-34 for 170 yards and one interception on the afternoon. By the end of the game, he had a 67.6 completion percentage, as the New England defense made life tough for him throughout the contest.
Patriots head coach Bill Belichick thinks highly of Murray, despite his team’s success against the signal-caller. New England will look to rebound with a win over the Cardinals, as they try to improve their positioning in the playoff hunt.
Belichick is very cognizant of what Murray brings to the table, as transcribed by Dakota Randall of NESN.com.
“Yeah, he’s already got a few records and obviously a lot of production,” Belichick said. “A couple Pro Bowls and all that in three years. So, yeah, very talented guy, athletic, quick, elusive, fast. Obviously, a lot different from a guy like Josh Allen but productive and athletic, but less size and maybe a little bit more speed and quickness, that kind of thing. But yeah, tough guy to defend.
“He extends a lot of plays, and they use him in the quarterback run game. Kliff’s used him on that. I mean Kliff, obviously, coached in college, had (Patrick) Mahomes and everything else, so he knows how to use and put pressure on defenses with athletic quarterbacks. So, not only does Murray do it, but he’s also in a system that I would say probably enhances it.”
New England has had trouble with mobile quarterbacks this season. Lamar Jackson gave the Patriots fits at the end of September, and Josh Allen put on a show of precision last Thursday night.
Murray certainly brings that element to the table, as he has totaled 415 rushing yards on the season, to go along with three touchdowns. He will give New England another test in a game the Patriots cannot afford to lose.
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