Evasive Kyler Murray will provide test for Steelers pass rushers
For all of his elusiveness and ability to make plays moving around in the pocket, Arizona Cardinals rookie Kyler Murray has been sacked more than any other NFL quarterback.
Murray, the No. 1 overall draft pick, has been sacked 41 times this season. Waiting in the wings Sunday are the Pittsburgh Steelers, whose 43 sacks are more than all but two teams.
The 5-foot-10 Murray presents an intriguing matchup, but the Steelers hope they can take advantage of his size and disrupt his vision.
“I think with our pressure up front, he’s got to throw over us,” defensive captain Cameron Heyward said. “He’s not going to be able to see his targets, that’s what we’re hoping for. He buys time to make things happen.”
Perhaps too much time, as his sacks total suggests.
But when Murray gets rid of the ball, it usually is on target. He has completed nearly 64% of his passes, and he’s thrown only six interceptions on 427 attempts.
Murray also doubles as the Cardinals leading rusher with 446 yards, which makes containing him more difficult. Defensive coordinator Keith Butler said the Steelers will have to pick their spots when rushing Murray.
“You have to change it up,” he said. “You can’t always attack the quarterback. You can’t always sit back and wait for the quarterback to come to you. You have to change it up. You’ve got to throw him some fastballs at times, and you’ve got to throw him some curves.”
That’s an apt metaphor for Murray, an outfielder who was the No. 9 overall pick by the Oakland Athletics in 2018. He spurned a baseball career after winning the Heisman Trophy and was taken by Arizona with the top pick.
“The kid is very smart, and he does a lot of good things for them,” Butler said. “I see why they took him.”
Murray is a smaller than Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson, who is 6-2. Jackson rushed for 70 yards when the Ravens beat the Steelers in overtime in October. Murray will be another in a string of mobile quarterbacks the Steelers have faced and will face down the stretch.
After Murray, the Steelers get Buffalo’s Josh Allen next week and then Jackson again in the season finale.
“It’s hard to defend that stuff because normally you are trying to defend 10 people, not 11,” Butler said. “You’ve got to defend 11 now.”
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Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he is in his fifth decade covering sports for the Trib. He can be reached at jrutter@triblive.com.
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