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CLEVELAND, Ohio — It was inevitable. The Arizona Cardinals made the tough decision to continue with backup Jacoby Brissett at the helm, instead of their franchise quarterback in Kyler Murray. Despite missing the two games before their bye with a foot sprain, Murray (foot sprain) was expected to return ahead of Week 9. Instead, Arizona elected to continue with Brissett in the Monday Night matchup with Dallas. And it worked, with Brissett tearing apart the Cowboys secondary. The performance brings us one step closer to what looked destined to be, in terms of Murray’s future in Arizona. A future that seems grey. More Cleveland Browns coverage Will new Browns’ play-caller bring Saban-style simplicity to the playbook? Was Paul DePodesta the Browns’ scapegoat or the architect of their downfall? What Tommy Rees learned from Nick Saban about play calling, and why he’ll be good for Dillon Gabriel: Mary Kay Cabot Reality check This is year seven for Kyler Murray. The quarterback position is a tedious one, because while the organizations should be building around that quarterback, it’s also on them to hold their end of the bargain. Up to this point, Murray’s got a couple Pro Bowl nods and a few 20-touchdown seasons. That’s about it. His playoff start during the 2021 season is still his only playoff experience to date. It’s hard to pinpoint any progress with your former first overall pick. Murray was supposed to be the culture changer for Arizona. Instead, it’s a franchise that was last competitive during the days of Carson Palmer. Between the injuries suffered in recent seasons and decrease in production, the problem is Murray has yet to prove he can elevate the play of his teammates. He’s had guys in the past such as DeAndre Hopkins and A.J. Green, all the way to present day with Trey McBride and Marvin Harrison Jr. Murray has done well with these guys, but is there is a lack of visible progress from Murray to them. Even when on the field using his speed to create opportunities or get out of sticky situations, it doesn’t make up elsewhere. Ahead of Week 11 of this season, Murray does tie for the fourth-fewest seconds in the pocket (2.68) among qualifying quarterbacks, per Next Gen Stats. On the flip side, Murray is averaging the third-fewest completed air yards 3.8 air yards, which is the third fewest, among a second-fewest 6.0 intended air yards. Time to throw relates to how quickly a quarterback can get rid of the ball. While completed air yards relates to how far downfield, in the air, the pass travels. Murray is quick on his releases, but the ball isn’t traveling far downfield. After Week 5 concluded, which was Murray’s most recent appearance, Arizona averaged 4.8 yards per play, which ranked 27th, You also have to take into consideration his lack of efficiency on deep shots (37.5), tying for 23rd in this category, per Pro Football Focus. Through five games, Murray has only completed six of his 16 deep passes that travel 20 or more yards downfield. But lastly, it’s the tendency of taking sacks that hurts Murray. Now, we’re not talking rookie Murray that was sacked a league-leading 48 times. But we are talking about a veteran Murray who’s been sacked 16 times through five games this season, and Murray was to blame for six of them, per PFF. Jacoby Brissett Murray has missed the last three games, giving way for Brissett to start. The veteran quarterback played a better three games than Murray did in the season’s first five games. What has Brissett done so differently? Frankly, there was a different feel in the offense with Brissett in the pocket. His 3.13 seconds in the pocket is the second-longest time taken in the pocket, per Next Gen Stats. Furthermore, Brissett’s 6.7 completed air yards tie for the fifth-most among quarterbacks. The man is getting the ball downfield, while keeping cool and collective in the pocket. Brissett’s game has never relied on his legs. At best, his size is of use for short-yardage scenarios. So while Brissett is taking his time, he’s also taking his time in the pocket before connecting with his intended target. You look back at the Week 9 win versus Dallas, Brissett completed seven passes that traveled 10 or more yards downfield. Through three games, Brissett recorded less than one third of completed passes that travel 10 or more yards, compared to Murray (19). The veteran brings a sense of composure that this Cardinals offense needed for quite some time. Conclusion Nothing is established. Murray’s injury is not deemed to be a season-ending injury. However, the longer Brissett produces, the quicker some will be in forgetting about Murray.
