TEMPE — The ground game broke through for Kyler Murray in the Cardinals’ win over the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, starting with a 50-yard scoot for a touchdown on Arizona’s opening drive.
It was an element of the Cardinals offense that had to improve, as Murray had not rushed more than five times in a game prior. He had only one carry in the week before, a loss to the Washington Commanders.
In addition to the early 50-yarder, Murray also had two runs for 13 yards to help bring his tally to 83 yards on seven carries. On his final play, he scrambled for seven yards to get the Cardinals in range for a game-winning 35-yard field goal.
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“The dynamic run game helps him out,” offensive coordinator Drew Petzing said Tuesday. “When people have to defend both of those and they look very similar, I think it creates a lot of indecision even at the third level at times on a defense.”
James Conner provided a different look from Murray, totaling 89 yards on 19 carries after he had just nine yards in the first half.
Because both found their rhythm, it forced the 49ers defense to account for everything, Petzing said.
Defensive coordinator Nick Rallis said what makes Murray especially dangerous is the way he can play out of structure when everyone is covered.
Head coach Jonathan Gannon on Monday told Arizona Sports’ Burns & Gambo the coaching staff didn’t necessarily call more designed runs, rather the defense allowed Murray to take those looks.
“I thought he made plays with his legs. Sometimes too though, it might be a designed quarterback run that has a read element and they play it a certain way that he would hand it off,” Gannon said. “It’s not like we had a bunch more designed runs for him, I thought that when he did have his opportunities to make a correct decision and pull it and run, he did a good job.”
Gannon pointed to a third down Murray converted with his legs and called that aspect of the signal caller’s game “elite.”