Film Study: Kyler Murray vs. New Orleans

Breaking down Murray's opening game for the Cardinals in 2025

Sep 7, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints safety Justin Reid (21) chases Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) during the second half at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

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By Matthew Coller

Well folks, the Minnesota Vikings have a new quarterback. So in the coming weeks, we’re going to be looking at Kyler Murray’s games from 2025, one by one. We begin with the 2025 opener between the Arizona Cardinals and the New Orleans Saints.

In this game, Murray went 21-for-29 with two touchdowns, zero interceptions, zero turnover-worthy plays. He got sacked five times and ran for 38 yards in a 20-13 victory.

We begin with a successful scramble that also falls under the category of an area where Murray gets criticized pretty often. On the Purple Insider podcast last week, ESPN’s Cardinals reporter noted that Murray will often take off if the first read isn’t there. At 5-foot-10, his height and ability to see downfield is also pointed out when it comes to missing some downfield opportunities. This play demonstrates both those things and his ability to deal with them by turning it into a first down.

Murray is out of the pistol formation here. We haven’t seen any quarterbacks in Minnesota use, so it will be interesting to see if that’s an addition or if they go for a more traditional shotgun. He fakes a handoff and looks to the isolated receiver on his left, who is running an in-breaking route.

The pass protection is very good and Saints’ linebacker gets depth, possibly eliminating the dig route unless Murray wanted to put the ball either over him and in front of the safety or throw to the space out in front of his receiver. It looks like that opportunity is there. Reading the play and QB’s eyes, the opposite side safety starts to break on the receiver, leaving the wide receiver running a go route on the other side of the field one-on-one and running away from the corner.

Murray decided to pass up the pass over the middle and was too late to go for the deep shot, so he scrambled for an easy first down.

We can say a few things about this play. First, that it’s a downfield concept that we might see in a Kevin O’Connell offense. The spacing is really good and the opportunity is there. If/when Murray does this, there might be some sighs from wide receivers. But it’s also proof that even when he doesn’t nail the play exactly how it’s drawn up, positive stuff can happen.

In his five games in 2025, Murray threw more than 20 yards in the air 16 times and completed six with one drop. Our next throw is one of those completions that is demonstrative of what’s required to make him right on deep stuff.

Side note: Oftentimes results-based stats like EPA will be cited when it comes to the deep throws but those don’t factor that the wide receiver has to catch the ball. They aren’t an evaluation of how the QB did his job. Most sharp analytics folks will tell you that EPA is a team stat for that reason.

Anyway, with some eye candy pre-snap motion, Murray throws down the sideline for a big completion. The pass looks like it’s being carried by two doves who floated it right down softly into the paws of Marvin Harrison Jr. The veteran QB laid the ball up into the perfect spot for his receiver to run full speed right underneath it.

The amount of air underneath this throw shows how much the onus is on the receivers in this offense to make contested catches. In 2020, DeAndre Hopkins ranked 9th in contested catches while playing with Murray and Harrison Jr. was 10th in 2024. The problem is that Harrison Jr.’s rate of success has not been very high (42% in 2024). Justin Jefferson’s career mark is 51%, if you’re wondering.

There has been an untrue narrative about Murray not being able to throw over the middle bouncing around the interwebs, which is very easy to dispel when watching the tape. His percentage of throws past the sticks over the middle isn’t unusual (33% in 2024) and his timing and accuracy on such passes can be very good.

Here we see a common concept from 12 personnel where the two receivers are stacked on the field side. One of them runs a little stop type route to hold the nickel defender and the other runs an in-breaking route behind it. Against off coverage, the receiver is open over the middle. Murray does double clutch a bit as the DT comes through the offensive line at him but he sees that there’s space to make the throw and fires a dart to his receiver for a first down.

For a player his size, Murray does not have any issues with batted balls in comparison to his peers. He has the vision to identify what’s happening in front of him and look for throwing lanes. In 2024, he had the same number of batted passes as Matthew Stafford and Justin Herbert.

Our next play is something that Murray has made a staple of his career: Playmaking out of structure. Maybe this is a good time to mention that Arizona finished 27th in PFF pass blocking grade as a team. There were multiple times against New Orleans in which Saints players ran free at Murray and he was forced to make something happen.

On this one, somehow a receiver ends up on a defensive end and it goes exactly how you’d think. However, Murray identifies it instantly and hops up into space in the pocket. He looks like he’s going to scramble for a couple yards but he keeps his eyes downfield and sees the safety and linebacker crashing toward him and fires the ball to tight end Trey McBride for a big gain.