Cardinals are a team with flaws, but QB Kyler Murray’s play isn’t one of them

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) - Kyler Murray has been around the NFL long enough to have seen a few things.

The 27-year-old was the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2019. He’s been a two-time Pro Bowl selection.

He’s led the Arizona Cardinals to an 11-win season. He’s suffered playoff disappointment. He’s seen one head coach hired and another fired. He’s torn knee ligaments and missed nearly a year.

With all that experience as background, he still believes the Cardinals are on the right track despite a 2-4 record this season, steadfastly supporting second-year coach Jonathan Gannon as the two embark on their first Monday night game together when they host the Los Angeles Chargers.

Six years after being selected with the No. 1 overall pick after winning the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma, Murray is in his NFL prime.

"We're 2-4, but when we go out there on Sunday and we're on the field, you're at that point where you've seen pretty much all of it," Murray said. "It's a good feeling. Obviously, we have to deliver and execute."

Murray said on an ESPN podcast this week that he feels this is the best he’s played through six games and the stats largely back that claim. He came into the weekend ranked No. 8 in quarterback rating, just behind Lamar Jackson and C.J. Stroud and ahead of others such as two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes and Baker Mayfield.

The Cardinals are still struggling to produce wins consistently. But their quarterback - for the most part - has never been better.

"He's one of the premier players in the world,” Gannon said earlier this season. “He's always in control and he understands what's going on. That's the cool thing for me. The mental part of the game."

In many ways, Murray is still the same player who debuted in 2019. He’s a good passer despite being undersized, and can use his shifty speed to make big plays on the ground, including a 50-yard touchdown run against the 49ers two weeks ago.

The biggest difference is his attitude. The quarterback was accustomed to almost uninterrupted success during his high school and college days, piling up wins and awards at a dizzying pace.

Then he was drafted by the Cardinals. Turning around one of the NFL’s perennial also-ran franchises hasn’t been as easy. Arizona has been to the playoffs just nine times since 1949 and won its most recent title in 1947.

"Getting into the league and dealing with failure, I took it super hard," Murray said. “I think it was kind of a detriment.

"You don't want to learn how to lose, but at the end of the day you kind of have to learn how to deal with those things and continue to play the game at a high level. I guess you could say that's maturity and age."

Murray’s maturity has been on display in various ways. During the offseason, he organized a few team-building trips, including one to Oklahoma and another to Los Angeles. Murray posted a photo of the California trip over the summer, which featured 12 teammates, including running back James Conner, rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and tight end Trey McBride.

Murray has quickly bonded with Harrison, who was the No. 4 overall pick out of Ohio State. The on-field chemistry is still a work in progress, but there have been plenty of good moments, including four touchdown catches. Harrison is expected to play on Monday despite suffering a concussion in last week’s game against the Packers.

The Murray-Harrison combo has been a microcosm of the Cardinals this season: Occasionally fantastic, but too inconsistent to be a weekly winner.

But Murray’s newfound maturity has allowed him to learn patience. It’s what keeps him going as the Cardinals try to get back to the playoffs for just the second time in nine seasons.

"Honestly, the culture that we're building, the mindset, the mentality of the team, the temperament of the team, nobody is going to waver,” Murray said. “Like I said, it's a long season. Everybody's confident.

“We know what needs to be done, and we just have to go do it."

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