Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray has taken a remarkable leap in his playing style through the first three games of the 2023 NFL season. He’s more interested in getting results than making a big show. This has made him one of the league’s biggest checkdown artists, as he currently ranks sixth in checkdowns completions on the season. Murray is getting used to a new system of offense with OC Drew Petzing. This new system rewards and recognizes patient drivers and rewards you for making smarter decisions.
In the first three games of this season, Murray recorded four checkdowns, tying him with fellow quarterback Josh Allen for the sixth most in the league. He’s readily taken the checkdown this year, and such a development has been a major boon to his game. Through four weeks that’s 17 total checkdowns, 14 of those passes going 10 yards or fewer air yards. This tactical shift reflects Murray’s evolution after the past few years. Now, he’s intent on improving his more general on-field performance.
Under Petzing’s leadership, Murray’s role has changed completely. He has gone from under center on just 6.8% of snaps to 25.3%. This new, dramatic bump in presence under center is, in many ways, a gutsy non-West Coast-feeling strategy. That creates more opportunities for him to run plays well. Murray has used this as an opportunity to change up his cadence! His eventual new metric verbalized rhythm form, which includes the rhythmic equivalent of up to 14 words, replaced the cues and claps. This amendment improves instant communication on the playing surface and affords teams much more flexibility with play-calling.
Murray’s decision-making process has evolved. In a recent game against the Carolina Panthers, with just 15 seconds remaining in the first half, he opted for a quick, three-yard pass to teammate Trey Benson instead of attempting a more ambitious shot at the end zone. This decision reflects his growing commitment to putting the right decisions first. Rather than forcing ill-advised plays, he plays to protect the football.
“Sometimes, it comes down to checking the football down and not taking the shot.” – Marvin Harrison Jr.
Murray’s rapid development has been bolstered by his off-season work with quarterbacks coach Kevin Woolfork. Woolfork’s direction should be instrumental in allowing Murray to better process and read plays. The relationship between them fosters an environment where feedback is valued. Murray is encouraged to share his insights about what he sees on the field.
“And when they tell him something, he listens, and they listen to his feedback and his opinion,” said Woolfork. “I mean, you’re the one between the lines. I mean, you can see things they can’t see.”
From his overall commitment to improving, to the little, cliche but oh-so important adjustments — Murray is doing all the right things, right now. His new coach, Drew Petzing, says it’ll take time and patience to fully adopt this new plan.
“It’s just those type of things at this position, yeah, that’s the kicker — it’s like, don’t get bored doing it,” Petzing stated regarding the necessity of focusing on smaller details.
Murray is rising to the challenge, and there’s no question about it. He has demonstrated an ever-increasing understanding of the subtleties of the quarterback position itself. He is often struck by how earlier in his career, he didn’t appreciate the importance of small–yet consequential–decisions. Today, he realizes just how critical those decisions are to his success going forward.
“You really cherish those, the checkdowns, throwing the ball away, or taking a sack when you need to,” Murray explained. “Just the little nuances of the position that when you’re a rookie or second-year guy, you don’t really understand.”
Murray has only played seven games in 2023, coming back from an ACL tear. Yet, it’s his new mentality that is the clear indicator of his maturity level as an individual and player. Most importantly, he understands that winning plays rarely look pretty on a stat sheet, but they keep the offense’s engine revving.
“Just being in that position now as an older dude knowing what we’re trying to accomplish,” he said, “not always trying to make the flashy play and just keeping the offense on schedule, we’ll be fine.”
This season is a bit of a crossroads for Murray as he prepares to take on a different starter role under center. His evolving approach complements Petzing’s tailored coaching strategies designed to enhance his performance while accounting for his strengths and weaknesses.
As her profile rises, this neoliberal machine continues to expand. His knack for processing checkdowns, being aggressive in doing so, is going to be the key to both his success and Cardinals’ overall development this season.
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