Kyler's House: Cardinals At Cowboys Means QB Murray Is 'Home'
ARLINGTON - Maybe because of his lack of height or maybe because he's so soft-spoken, it's difficult to define Kyler Murray. Heck, it's even happening with his official record as a player at AT&T Stadium, site of tonight's NFL Week 6 meeting between Murray's Arizona Cardinals and his hometown Dallas Cowboys.
Everybody keeps writing that Murray's record while playing in "JerryWorld'' is "6-0.'' But it's at least 7-0 (as he was an Aggies backup here). And our colleague Kevin Hageland, who covered the QB at Allen High School, swears it's more like "10-0.'' ... though maybe "The Legend of Kyler'' is what bloats the number.
“I couldn’t tell you the actual record. I don’t know,” Murray said. “It’s just a lot of games, haven’t lost.''
OK, but this much is certain: The 5-5, 150-pound sophomore QB who led Allen to the first of three straight titles, and then became a Texas A&M transfer to Oklahoma where he won the Heisman Trophy, and now stands 5-10 (at the most) and 200 pounds ... is a giant in this building.
"(AT&T Stadium) means a lot," Murray said. "There's been a lot of memories there, a lot of great memories. Obviously, playing back home in Texas in front of friends and family ... it's a big deal."
Arizona (3-2) brings to AT&T an explosive offense keyed by Murray, who has the third-most wins of any QB in this building - second only to Tony Romo and Dak Prescott.
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“Well, I hope Kyler’s experience is exactly the same as the two times I’ve coached back in Pittsburgh,” said Dallas coach Mike McCarthy, a Pittsburgh native. ... who is 0-2 in those games. "It almost seems to be a weekly motivation factor for the opponent that someone is from Dallas that is excited about playing at AT&T Stadium. I think that’s part of our benefit of being a Dallas Cowboy, but it’s also part of the challenge. You get everybody’s best game.''
When it comes to Texas high school football, a lot of those sort of paths cross. The Cowboys QB tonight (in for the injured-for-the-season) Dak Prescott is Andy Dalton; he's one of the most decorated QBs in Texas schoolboy history. And then comes the ties at the next level, in this case regional ties, as one of Murray's favorite targets at OU was CeeDee Lamb - now a budding Cowboys star.
“That’s my brother, at the end of the day,” said Lamb, who in 2018 caught 65 passes for 1,158 yards and 11 TDs with Murray at QB. “We went to college together. We had great memories together before living our dream that we’re going through now.''
The Texas ties continue with Kliff Kingsbury - yes, another Lone Star schoolboy star - as the head coach of the Cardinals, overseeing an offense especially tailored to Murray's elusiveness.
The Cowboys are 2-3 and with a win against the favored Cardinals, can get back to .500 and build some confidence as an NFC East contender. But they'll have to do it against a kid in Kyler Murray who has said he hasn't felt nervous about a game since being that 5-5 soph ... and who surely has a comfort level here in Arlington.
"But,'' Lamb said, "somebody' got to come out with an L (Monday night). And I’m not planning on it being us.”
That's the right attitude on one sideline. After all, it's "JerryWorld.'' But on the other sideline? It's "Kyler's House.''
