How Kyler Murray calling plays helps him as Cardinals’ QB

By Eric D. Williams
FOX Sports NFC West Writer

GLENDALE, Ariz. — When Kyler Murray took over play-calling duties late in the third quarter Sunday night, receiver Greg Dortch knew the ball was going down the field.

“Kyler’s very aggressive,” Dortch said. “He wants the big play every time. I love that. That’s how he plays. He’s explosive. He’s a playmaker, so of course he’s going to call plays that show that.” 

Murray sliding on the headset on the sideline brought some juice to an otherwise ho-hum, 24-17 preseason loss for the Arizona Cardinals to the Baltimore Ravens Sunday at State Farm Stadium.

Isaiah Likely leads Ravens over Cardinals

Isaiah Likely was the standout in the Ravens’ 24-17 win over the Cardinals on Sunday in Arizona. Likely finished with eight receptions, 100 yards and a TD.

According to coach Kliff Kingsbury, having Murray call plays is not a gimmick, just something for him to do so he doesn’t get bored watching the game. Instead, it provides another way for the 25-year-old QB to learn the offense and his role in it. 

“He gets a chance to really back off and see the macro view of it,” Kingsbury said. “See what all goes into the protections, knowing where the back goes, seeing the coverage. 

“Then, even the leadership on the sideline, talking to Trace [McSorley]: ‘Hey, this is what I’m looking for.’ It’s just a good way for him to stay involved and see it from a different perspective.” 

Murray appeared into it, fist pumping and fist bumping teammates when the Cardinals made big plays. Taking over with his team down 24-3, Murray led the Cardinals on two touchdown-scoring drives, cutting Baltimore’s advantage to seven points late in the game.

“I’m going to try and redeem myself from last week,” Murray said on the FOX TV broadcast, referring to his stint calling plays against the Cincinnati Bengals. “We had two three-and-outs, so I want to get the ball in the end zone. That’s my job, to hopefully call some good plays for our guys to execute and get the ball in the end zone.” 

On the final drive, however, Arizona’s offense stalled near midfield, giving Baltimore the ball back. The Ravens then salted away the game for the franchise’s NFL-record 22nd straight preseason win.

“He did a nice job,” Kingsbury said. “He was fired up. He was way more excited than he gets when he throws [a touchdown]. I don’t know what that’s all about, but it was fun to watch. He was talking to those guys and doing a nice job leading them.”

Kingsbury said he used the time late in the game to evaluate players without having to worry about what play to call. But he won’t be giving up his day job any time soon.

“My life would be a lot easier if I didn’t call plays,” Kingsbury said. “That’s a good gig if I could do that. But I wouldn’t get paid to do that.” 

The Ravens were down 21 points when Murray took over, so Dortch was not surprised that the QB called 21 pass plays and just five running plays. 

“I love that,” Dortch said. “I get that we have to run the ball to keep the defense honest, but any time we can throw the ball, I’m all for it.”

It’s been an eventful training camp for the franchise quarterback. After inking a $230.5 million extension just before the start of camp, a leaked independent study clause in the contract created national headlines. The team later removed the addendum, calling it an unintended distraction. 

An indignant Murray enthusiastically defended himself in an impromptu press conference.

Murray also caught COVID-19, limiting his practice time during camp. And while he likely will not see any playing time during the preseason, calling plays helps him improve as a player and stay engaged as the Cardinals push to get ready for an important Week 1 contest at home against the Kansas City Chiefs. 

“He’s asking me what I like, he’s talking to me about what he’s seeing, his philosophy and how he’s trying to go out and call it,” backup QB McSorley said when asked about his interaction with Murray. “He’s got the headset, he’s got the game plan in front of him, and he was marking stuff down. He was all into it. 

“So, it was cool to see him kind of get into that role. I think it was interesting to see him take what he did and didn’t like from last week and get ready to call this week’s game.” 

And should Murray get the credit for the scores?

“He called it, didn’t he?” quipped McSorley. “He’ll get some credit for that. I got back to the sideline and said, ‘Hey, good calls Coach.'” 

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.