{"id":63951,"date":"2019-04-25T20:24:20","date_gmt":"2019-04-26T00:24:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lwosonnfl.ms.lastwordonsports.com\/?p=63951"},"modified":"2019-04-25T20:24:20","modified_gmt":"2019-04-26T00:24:20","slug":"kyler-murray-kliff-kingsbury-arizona-cardinals-offense-instant-analysis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/nfl\/2019\/04\/25\/kyler-murray-kliff-kingsbury-arizona-cardinals-offense-instant-analysis\/","title":{"rendered":"Instant Analysis: How Kyler Murray Fits Kliff Kingsbury, Arizona Cardinals Offense"},"content":{"rendered":"

Back when he was the head coach of Texas Tech, Kliff Kingsbury<\/a><\/strong> said that he would take<\/a>\u00a0quarterback Kyler Murray<\/strong><\/a> if he had the first pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Lo and behold, Kingsbury stayed true to his word and selected the Oklahoma product to start off the draft. Murray was one of the most electric and exciting players in college football, but how does Murray fit in Kliff Kingsbury\u2019s \u201cAir Raid\u201d offense?<\/p>\n

Setting Expectations For Kyler Murray With Arizona Cardinals, Kliff Kingsbury<\/strong><\/h2>\n

What Is the Air Raid?<\/h3>\n

Before we talk about how Murray fits in Arizona, let\u2019s break down first-year head coach Kliff Kingsbury\u2019s offense. Kingsbury comes from the collegiate ranks and ran the \u201cAir Raid\u201d offense during his time at Texas Tech. This type of offense has never translated to the NFL, but today\u2019s game is more favorable to college schemes than ever before. Nobody knows if this offense can actually work at the NFL level, but for the sake of this article, let\u2019s assume it can.<\/p>\n

As its name suggests, the Air Raid offense is all about throwing the ball. The quarterback typically aligns in shotgun formation with four wide receivers and a running back serving as the skill options. Personnel obviously changes on a situational basis, but this will be the base grouping for Kingsbury’s scheme.<\/p>\n

As one would expect with this type of grouping, Kingsbury loves to attack the deep part of the field. During his final full season at Texas Tech, leading wide receiver Jonathan Giles<\/strong> averaged 16.8 yards-per-reception on 69 receptions. This average shows that Giles typically ran towards the deep part of the field, and he was far from the only deep threat in Texas.<\/p>\n

This deep passing approach comes at the expense of the running game. When excluding quarterback runs, Texas Tech threw the ball on 64.8% of all offensive plays during Kingsbury\u2019s five years at the helm. This pass-heavy philosophy means that the quarterback needs to have the ability to buy time and scramble when faced with pressure. Opposing defenses won\u2019t be worried about stopping the run, so the quarterbacks need to attack defenses on the ground. Back in 2017, then-quarterback Patrick Mahomes<\/a><\/strong> led Texas Tech with 131 rushing attempts.<\/p>\n

How Kyler Murray Fits the Offense<\/h3>\n

Now that we know what Kingsbury wants to do with the ball, let\u2019s break down how Murray fits within the scheme. In order to succeed in Kingsbury\u2019s offense, the quarterback needs to have a big, accurate arm and the athleticism to take advantage of defenses on the ground.<\/p>\n

Based on his college film, it\u2019s plain to see that Murray is a perfect fit for the Air Raid offense. The most important ability is throwing an accurate deep ball, and there is nobody better than Murray. According to Pro Football Focus, Murray had the highest accuracy percentage on open targets 20 or more yards downfield. The Oklahoma product has an absolute cannon of an arm and is capable of hitting receivers at just about any part of the field.<\/p>\n

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Play-action deep ball on the post looks effortless. Touchdown to Hollywood. That's it for the FAU game. pic.twitter.com\/SGVIwvFqD0<\/a><\/p>\n

— Ian Valentino (@NFLDraftStudy) January 12, 2019<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n