Kyler Murray took a moment to survey the field before being hit hard by Jets linebacker Quincy Williams. Murray was hit so hard from the blind side that his helmet flew off and landed several yards away. The Cardinals’ sideline went quiet, and the home fans gasped in shock.
But then Murray got up, a small smirk on his face, and continued to play some of the best football of his career.
Arizona went on to win its fourth straight game, cruising to a 31-6 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday. Murray threw for 266 yards and one touchdown while also rushing for two more scores.
He had another outstanding performance, dissecting a Jets defense that had been ranked No. 2 in the league against the pass.
“The quarterback was the best player on the planet today,” said Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon. The Cardinals (6-4) scored touchdowns on four of their first five drives and never trailed during the game.
Murray completed 22 of 24 passes, including a franchise-record 17 consecutive completions at one point. He spread the ball around, finding targets like James Conner, Trey McBride, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Michael Wilson. Murray also ran for 21 yards.
“I just try to keep it as simple as possible,” Murray said. “The guys, they made plays for me all day. It’s great to go out there and feel the way we did today. No matter what they did, we had a good day offensively.”
Conner had five catches for 80 yards, and Harrison caught his sixth touchdown pass of the season. The Cardinals’ defense continued its strong play, not allowing a touchdown for the third straight home game.
The Jets (3-7) have now lost six of their last seven games, failing to build on the momentum from their win over the Texans the previous week. Aaron Rodgers completed 22 of 35 passes for 151 yards, and Breece Hall rushed for 52 yards.
“They were not prepared to play, we didn’t execute even close to our standard,” said Jets interim coach Jeff Ulbrich. “That falls on my shoulders, 100%. I didn’t do a good enough job getting these guys ready.”
Ulbrich is now 1-4 since replacing Robert Saleh, who was fired on October 8, with the Jets sitting at 2-3.
Arizona built a 24-6 lead by halftime, thanks to a 37-yard field goal from Chad Ryland as time expired in the first half. It capped a dominant first two quarters where the Cardinals outgained the Jets 239 to 85 in total yards. Murray was 17 of 19 for 199 yards before the break.
The Jets had a chance to make a comeback early in the third quarter, but the Cardinals defense stepped up with a big goal-line stand. They forced a fumble from Rodgers on a crucial fourth down to end the drive and stop the threat.
“I thought (the defense) really stepped up,” said Gannon. “I liked the plan a lot. It was well executed, a bunch of guys are making plays, and I thought our mode of play was on display. We’ll grade the tape hard, but there’s not going to be a lot of loafs, but our guys are humming.”
Arizona sealed the win on the next drive with Murray making a spectacular 12-yard run through the Jets’ defense, stretching the lead to 31-6. The drive was an efficient 10 plays, covering 88 yards.
The Cardinals took an early 7-0 lead on their opening drive when Conner ran for a 1-yard touchdown. Two plays earlier, Conner had caught a short pass and raced for 44 yards to set up the score at the 1-yard line.
Murray added a 1-yard rushing touchdown for a 14-3 lead with 2:54 left in the first quarter.
Murray’s third touchdown drive was arguably his most impressive. On a first-and-10 play at the Jets’ 22-yard line, he took a brutal hit from Williams but quickly got up, grabbed his helmet, and rejoined the huddle.
“I was standing up one moment,” Murray said, admitting it was one of the hardest hits he’s ever taken. “And on the ground the next moment.”
Laughing off the scary moment, Murray threw a key third-down pass to McBride, then found Harrison in the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown, making it 21-6 midway through the second quarter.
New York had to settle for two field goals in the first half. Spencer Shrader connected from 25 and 45 yards in his Jets debut.
“Had some chances to make it close early,” Rodgers said. “Just disappointing.”
