Kyler Murray, Cardinals blow out Jets for fourth straight win: Key takeaways

By / / Sports / 4 minutes of reading


By Doug Haller, Zack Rosenblatt and Chris Licata

The Arizona Cardinals and New York Jets continued in opposite trajectories Sunday. Quarterback Kyler Murray’s three touchdowns and precision passing helped the Cardinals blow out Aaron Rodgers and the Jets 31-6 to secure their fourth consecutive win and fifth in the last six games.

The story was told in the first half as the Cardinals outgained the Jets 239-85 and took a commanding 24-6 lead into the break. The Jets’ previously No. 2-ranked passing defense (158.2 yards per game) also allowed Murray to complete 17 straight passes, setting a new franchise record.

Meanwhile, Rodgers exited briefly in the third quarter to be evaluated for a concussion but returned on the next series and finished the game.

New York has lost six of its last seven contests and sits at 3-7 entering Week 11 with its playoff hopes fading. Arizona will enjoy a well-timed bye week.

Jets’ defense looked lifeless

The Jets have carried themselves like a team that felt confident they could turn their season around from a 2-6 start and go on a remarkable run to close the season and sneak into the playoffs. Instead, any hope they had of making that run evaporated in the desert.

The Jets put together a lifeless performance Sunday, especially on defense, and failed on nearly every level to put together a respectable performance: offense, defense, coaching, discipline, all of it. Murray destroyed what was supposed to be an elite Jets pass defense. As they have all season, Jets defenders struggled to make tackles. After the Jets opened the game with a 63-yard scoring drive ending in a short field goal, they never found juice on offense again the rest of the game.

When Rodgers wasn’t getting hit by Cardinals defenders in the backfield, he struggled to throw the ball to his receivers anyway — he finished 22 of 35 for 151 yards. Now, the only question is how long before the Jets locker room starts to unravel. — Zack Rosenblatt, Jets senior writer

Arizona picking up steam at the right time

If you didn’t take Arizona seriously before, you may need to alter your opinion. The 6-4 Cardinals are among the hotter teams in the NFL, winners of four in a row. Last week, they played their most complete game in a home win over the Bears, and on Sunday, they dominated the Jets.

OK, it’s the Jets. A team that has won three games. A team that has a lot of problems. Fair enough. (People used to say this about Arizona.) But the Cardinals have improved each week. On Sunday, they scored on their first five possessions — four were touchdowns. Arizona was never threatened and never allowed Rodgers to get comfortable.

Arizona last year had a typical season under a new coach. The Cardinals struggled early but started playing better during the second half, a process aided by Murray’s return from an ACL injury suffered in 2022. But they are ahead of schedule in Year 2 under Jonathan Gannon. Four weeks after self-destructing in a 34-13 loss at Green Bay, the Cardinals have played with maturity and poise. With a favorable schedule ahead, they may end up winning the NFC West, something that looked nearly impossible a month ago. — Doug Haller, Cardinals senior writer

Kyler Murray has command of Arizona’s offense

In 2021, after Arizona surged to a 7-0 start, Murray was mentioned as a potential MVP candidate. He was good then. He’s better now. In his second year working with offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, Murray has solid command of Arizona’s offense. He knows where to go with the ball. His confidence and comfort are clear to see.

Murray was nearly flawless against New York. He completed passes to seven receivers. Running back James Conner had five catches for 80 yards. Rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. had five catches for 54. Tight end Trey McBride had four for 71. Murray finished 22 of 24 for 266 yards and a touchdown. (One of those incompletions came on his first pass of the game.) He also ran for a pair of scores. — Haller

Required reading

(Photo: Norm Hall / Getty Images)





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About The Author

Avatar of Darlene Mendez
Darlene Mendez is a journalist with Prairie Island News. She has been writing for the paper for over 17 years and has won numerous awards for her stories on local government, education, and sports. Mendez enjoys spending time with her family and friends. She also loves watching sports and reading books.

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