Cardinals Confident Kyler Murray Will Only Improve

ARIZONA -- The Arizona Cardinals saw the successful return of quarterback Kyler Murray last week, and there's hope he'll only get better with more experience under center in the desert.

“He looked good. Looked really good. There are some things we’ve all got to work on. We got back in the lab today, but he had a good game," head coach Jonathan Gannon said yesterday.

Murray touched the field for the first time in nearly a year after recovering from ACL surgery to mount a game-winning drive to ultimately defeat the Atlanta Falcons in 25-23 fashion.

Murray went 19-for-32 passing for 248 passing yards and one interception while finding the end zone with his legs in the win.

Working under a new regime that features Gannon and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, there's certainly an adjustment period that will take place for Murray.

“Operationally. There are things that come up that you have to adjust to, but I think that the coaches and Kyler did a really good job of, ‘OK, here are some scenarios that can go on during the game and if they become issues, we’ve got to fix them and here’s what we’re going to do.’ They were on the same page with that, and a lot of it was just what he’s getting into his ear, what he’s looking at, and then giving it to the huddle," Gannon said Monday.

"Like I said to you guys yesterday, I knew there was going to be a little bit of that. It’s his first time doing a lot of that stuff andI’m sure as we keep getting going, he’ll get more and more comfortable with how we’re operating.”

The more comfortable Murray gets, the better Arizona's offense can be.

The Cardinals did indeed look night and day different with their franchise passer back in the mix. Gannon believes Murray's presence helps the team both physically and psychologically.

“I think more so than yesterday was probably the week of practice. It seemed like (there was an) uptick in our competitiveness on both sides," he said.

"I thought we had a really good week of practice, but yeah, I think it’s what I said. A jolt of energy, maybe a little more of a belief that we’re going to make sure if we get the ball there late, we’re going to score points or whatever it is. That’s part of him making his teammates better psychologically and that goes into that statement as well. That’s what he does for us.”

The Cardinals will be on the road in Week 11 to face the Houston Texans.