Kyler Murray Needs to Be "Boring?"
By Walter Mitchell
First, let's get something out of the way. During the pre-season, the Arizona media embraced what Israel Woolfork, the Cardinals' QB coach, said about Kyler Murray's main role in the offense --- "we need Kyler to be boring."
Wilfork continued: “The guys that are the greats do the boring stuff very well."
I bristled when I heard this --- did you?
Here was Kyler's reaction: “It’s boring, doing the right stuff over and over again, I would say that’s probably the secret. … Don’t get bored doing that.”
Talk like this drives me crazy.
Why should anything in an NFL offense ever be boring?
Why should perfecting the team's timing and execution of plays be boring?
Have you ever closely watched Kyler Murray's throwing habits in practice?
This drives me nuts.
Far too often he's just throwing the ball without trying to pinpoint his passes.
Fans protest, "it's only practice."
Not in the eyes of the likes of Kurt Warner and Matthew Stafford who once did (Kurt) and now (Matthew) do everything in their power in practice to get in a perfect passing sync with their receivers, all the way down to determining on each pass precisely where the receiver wants the football to arrive.
This is exactly why, imo, we see Kyle struggle at times to hit his receivers right in stride at a catching point where the defender cannot get his hands on the football.
Kyler has also gotten in the bad habit of lobbing passes that should be thrown on a tighter rope.
Case in point --- the 3rd down pass to Zay Jones that could have won the game for the Cardinals.
Here's another thing that drives me nuts --- the myth perpetuated ad nauseum by vast numbers of Cardinals' fans that if a receiver gets two hands on the ball, it should always result in a completion.
Here's an experiment for you --- dress a receiver in red --- and position a small, snorting bull within striking distance --- then lob up a pass that the receiver has to jump up and high point --- and then watch the bull take out the receiver --- not only does the receiver have to keep two hands on the ball upon the initial impact of the hit --- he then, in the process of getting upended, has to manage to keep both hands on the ball when he crashes downward into the turf.
On the 3rd down pass to Zay Jones, the pass, because it was partly lobbed arrived at a point where Jones had to stop his route and because the pass was a tad high, Jones had to try to square his feet and jump straight up to high point it --- all of which Jones did commendably.
https://x.com/i/status/1969903343188480098
First, not throwing this pass with greater oomph allowed Upton Stout extra time to "recover" and get close enough to Jones to get his right arm under Zay's right arm and his upper body in a position to pound Jones to the turf.
Secondly, Jones' having to jump for the ball with 49ers' CB Upton Stout arriving a fraction of a second after Jones high points the football, enables Stout to use his right arm as a crowbar for being able to help rip the ball out of Jones' hands in conjunction with him crashing forcibly to the turf, so forcefully that there was no way that Jones was going to be able to hang on to the ball and so impactfully that Jones suffered a concussion on the play.
All of the problems for Zay Jones could have been avoided had Kyler led Jones with a pass that Jones would not have had to jump for.
Look at how difficult it was for Jones to tuck the ball, with Stout's right arm underneath.
Look at how Stout slams down on the ball with his right arm and his body just as Jones hits the turf. Stout crowbarred the ball out, even if it wasn't coming out already. That's why the ball popped straight up upon impact with the turf. It was like popping a cork.
Ask any NFL WR what kind of passes they most dread. High passes where they have to make themselves completely vulnerable because of having the leave their feet to catch it.
The Great Debate:
Herein lies the great debate among Cardinals' fans --- some insist that this was a good pass by Kyler that 100% of the time should have been caught --- while others lament that this throw arrived a little late and a little too high, thereby making Zay Jones vulnerable and at a disadvantage.
This take --->
Versus this take --->:
Kyler had as many TD pass(es) in the 4th quarter last week as he had the last 19 games combined. He was on what I would assume had to be a historic run of 4th quarter ineptitude. I’ve watched enough of him to know he likely didn’t figure anything new out, anything useful he’ll utilize moving forward. Most likely we’ve got more maddeningly mediocre qb play forthcoming. Reason is very simple—the nfl is truly a game of inches and nuance. Kyler doesn’t pay attention to the nuances as you’ve described in your article above. So we’ll continue to lose on the margins offensively as long as hes our qb
ReplyDeleteI have often wondered if Kyler has difficulty sustaining a strong level of focus. The two biggest questions about him at this point are: (1) how well can he maintain his focus for 60 minutes of a game; (2) how many games can he stay focused in on during a 17-game season? It's tough to watch him when he's struggling. And it's exhilarating to watch him when he's dialed in.
DeleteI doubt Woolfork meant that he wanted Kyler to be boring ALL THE TIME. Just when the game was calling for it and strike the 'interesting' stuff when the moment was right and the boring stuff changed the game script to open up the shots. And he is correct - the greats do it well.
ReplyDeleteIn your article, you have three beautiful, pinpoint passes and one good one (perhaps could have been a little more in front but it was there to be made) to prove he isn't making pinpoint passes. Sometimes the QB has to through it up and let the receiver make a play.
Stafford, who you are using as a comparable for accurate passes as a result of better practice habits apparently, has 21 interceptions since MOJO took over in Arizona with a lower completion percentage than Kyler - who has 19 interceptions (Stafford 35 games to Kyler 29). Kurt himself was no stranger to interceptions.
I know it's tough to ask any Cardinal fan for patience, but I think this offence is building momentum and will soon be rolling (hopefully starting this weekend)
The Titans game will tell us all we need to know about this team, coaching staff and FO. One can say that unfairly every week but if we do not beat the Titans at home in a fairly dominate fashion, I think the consensus will unified in approving and demanding major changes in coaching, QB and FO. This is a bellwether game.
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