New York Giants vs Arizona Cardinals: First Look at Arizona's Potent Offense
The Arizona Cardinals have lost their last three games in a row to fall to 6-6 on the year, their playoff hopes hanging by a thread, but don’t let that or their 6-6 record fool you.
This is an offense ranked sixth overall in total yards per game (389.4/game), fourth in rushing, first in the red zone, and second in goal-to-go situations. And it's also an offense that is the second-fastest in the NFL, averaging 24.98 seconds per play, according to Football Outsiders.
It all starts with quarterback Kyler Murray. Murray has thrown 22 touchdowns to 10 interceptions and is averaging 7.0 air yards per pass attempt.
Where Murray has picked up his game is in the running game. Last year, he averaged 34.0 yards per game; this year, that’s up to 55.4 rushing yards per game. The Cardinals lead the league in RPOs with 117 and have generated 682 passing yards and 220 rushing yards off those plays.
Murray leads the Cardinals in rushing touchdowns with 10 (fifth in the league); he is also tied for third in runs of 20+ yards (6).
All that helps cover up the fact that Murray, who is still a young quarterback, can be indecisive with the ball at times. He’s averaging nearly 2.54 second to throw per attempt, and his offensive line has done a relatively good job of protecting him, allowing just 20 sacks this season, down from the 48 he absorbed as a rookie. But to his credit, Murray has cut down on the mistakes he used to make more frequently as a rookie.
“This guy does a great job improvising on his feet, extending plays, keeping his eyes downfield and making big throws,” said Giants head coach Joe Judge.
“He has a rocket for an arm, and this guy can be as aggressive as he wants to because he’s very, very accurate with the ball. You put that along with the receivers he has to throw to. This is a group of weapons that’s very explosive.”
Murray has already built a connection with receiver DeAndre Hopkins, acquired from the Texans in the off-season via trade. Hopkins’s NFL rating of 112.7 is the fifth-best among wide receivers with at least 90 passing targets, and the sure-handed receiver has just one dropped ball this season, the third-best mark in the league.
The bread and butter for the Cardinals offense, according to Judge, has been their running game, Kenyan Drake and Chase Edmonds. Drake leads the Cardinals rushing game with 768 yards on 178 carries and has scored eight rushing touchdowns, second on the team behind Murray.
Stopping the Arizona running game—and that includes Murray—is the Giants’ best bet. If the Giants can make the Arizona offense one dimensional, their pass defense, which has confused both young and experienced quarterbacks alike, could gain the upper hand.
“Drake and Edmonds—these guys are both having good seasons. They do a very good job of getting the ball downhill at you,” Judge said.
“They have a very good zone run game. They’ll also mix up some game plan runs and pulls and gap schemes. (Head coach) Kliff (Kingsbury) does a good job of mixing that in with the tempo and keeping you on your toes.”
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