Ten games. That’s how long it took for the Arizona Cardinals to become an offensive juggernaut, looking as good on a football field as they do on paper.
Six years. That’s how long it took for Kyler Murray to grow up, stand firm in the pocket, and become a quarterback capable of winning a Super Bowl in Arizona.
Pinch yourself. It’s all happening now.
The Cardinals stacked their fourth consecutive victory on Sunday with a breathtaking 31-6 demolition of Aaron Rodgers and the New York Jets. They enter their bye week as a first-place team and a Cinderella story, alone atop the NFC West. They have won their past two games by 45 points and haven’t allowed a touchdown in their last three games at State Farm Stadium.
They are beginning to look dangerous.
Against the Jets, the Cardinals won all the critical downs and made all the big plays. They scored touchdowns on their first three possessions. Trey McBride hurdled another defender. Budda Baker is playing with the throttle all the way down. And Murray produced one of the most ruthless performances of his career.
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The Cardinals quarterback came out firing, the centerpiece of an aggressively brilliant game plan that undressed the revamped, overmatched coaching staff in New York. The Jets obviously expected the efficient quarterback who handed the ball off to James Conner and entered the game with a modest 11 touchdown passes and three interceptions. They received an unchained tiger.
Murray was dynamic and unflappable. He had the Zen of a warrior, and his vibes were immaculate. He threw for a touchdown and ran for two more. He completed 22-of-24 passes, including 17 straight, breaking Carson Palmer’s team record. If not for Lamar Jackson, he might’ve declared his MVP candidacy on Sunday. As a consolation prize, he might’ve played Rodgers straight into retirement.
In the blinding storm of brilliance, there was a series that stood above all else:
Murray absorbed a crushing blindside hit from the Jets’ Quincy Williams. The impact was so great that it dislodged Murray’s helmet and sent it flying two yards in the air. And yet the damage was nil.
On 3rd and 10, Murray stood firm in a dirty pocket, moving the chains with a precise strike to McBride. Like the near beheading had never happened. And then he threw an exquisite touchdown pass to Marvin Harrison Jr., the kind that only maestro quarterbacks can execute.
If you still don’t believe in Murray, what more do you need to see?
Alas, Murray has a complicated history in Arizona. He has been trolled, mocked and criticized. He is the subject of endless and tiresome jokes about his diminutive stature and his affinity for video games. In Arizona, he’s been a polarizing figure for too long.
On Sunday, Murray evened his record to 9-9 since returning from a serious knee injury, but he’s way more than a .500 quarterback at the moment. He’s growing into a potent, lethal, savvy, mature leader who can beat you any way you want. The kind of quarterback that can lift a good team to the mountaintop.
Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on Arizona Sports.