Kyler Murray injury: Cardinals quarterback is preparing to return to face Cowboys on 'Monday Night Football'
Here's what Murray's likely return would mean for both teams
By
Bryan DeArdo
•
2 min read
After missing the past two games with a foot injury, Cardinals' Kyler Murray is preparing to start Monday night's game against the Cowboys, Arizona coach Jonathan Gannon said on Thursday.
Murray, 28, hasn't played since he injured his foot during Arizona's Week 5 loss to the Titans. That game was the third of three consecutive losses for the Cardinals, who started the year with consecutive wins over the Saints and Panthers.
During Murray's absence, the Cardinals' offense was led by veteran Jacoby Brissett. While he put up decent numbers, Brissett lost both of his starts by four points to two of the NFL's best teams: the Indianapolis Colts and the Green Bay Packers.
Murray's return should help revive the Cardinals' ground game, which hasn't recovered since losing former Pro Bowl running back James Conner to a season-ending injury in Week 3. Arizona has averaged 118.2 rushing yards with Murray this season and just 91 yards per game without him.
Making Murray's return more significant is the fact that the Cowboys are one of the NFL's worst teams against the run. They are currently 29th in the league in rushing yards allowed, 25th in average yards-per-carry allowed and 23rd in touchdown runs permitted.
The Cardinals' quarterback change could also lead to more targets for second-year wideout Marvin Harrison Jr., who was targeted just eight games during the Cardinals' last two games after getting 32 targets during Murray's five games under center.
While there are clear upsides to Murray's likely return, one significant downside are the turnovers that sometimes occur with Murray as a result of him either holding the ball too long or trying a low-percentage pass that ends up in the hands of the other team. Murray had two picks during Arizona's Week 4 loss to Seattle and a fumble during the Cardinals' Week 5 loss to the Titans.
Murray aside, Monday is a huge game for two teams who are looking to stay alive in the NFC playoff picture. The Cardinals (2-5) haven't won since Week 2, while the Cowboys (3-4-1) are trying to get back to .500 following last week's blowout loss in Denver.
As for intangibles, Murray is 2-2 on Monday night, but he's never lost a game as a starter at AT&T Stadium. His lifetime mark of 9-0 stretches back to his high school days. His last game there -- on Oct. 19, 2020 -- was a 38-10 Cardinals' victory, which happens to be the lone blemish on Dak Prescott's "Monday Night Football" record of 5-1.
