https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/breaking-news/article/jonathan-gannon-confirms-cardinals-preparing-kyler-murray-to-start-monday-vs-cowboys-but-keeps-things-vague-202907580.html
The Arizona Cardinals have lost five games in a row by a combined 13 points, but they’re coming off a bye, which provided their reeling and banged-up 2-5 team much-needed rest.
Perhaps no one benefited from the pause more than quarterback Kyler Murray, whom head coach Jonathan Gannon confirmed the Cardinals are preparing to start Monday night on the road against the Dallas Cowboys.
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Gannon did so by simply responding “yeah” to a question about Arizona’s plan for its franchise quarterback leading up to a pivotal Week 9 matchup at AT&T Stadium, where Murray has starred before.
Murray was scheduled to speak to the media on Thursday, but he did not hold his regular midweek news conference, as has been the case while he’s been working his way back to the field.
Gannon didn’t divulge much about Murray’s recovery progress from a foot injury that’s sidelined him the past two games, however, Gannon shook his head and said “no” when he was asked if there’s a competitive advantage to him not naming a starting quarterback until later in the week.
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Jacoby Brissett has started in Murray’s absence and has thrown for at least 279 yards in both outings while posting a 4:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio and, according to PFF, connecting on a combined eight passes of 20-plus air yards, two more than Murray has completed all season.
Gannon also kept things vague when a reporter inquired about potential checkpoints in Murray’s return this week.
“Get him fully healthy, play,” Gannon said.
[Get more Cardinals news: Arizona team feed]
The third-year Cardinals coach expounded more when discussing the importance of the off week for his club, which has recently opened the practice window for first-round defensive tackle Walter Nolen as well as for a pair of impact third-year defenders, cornerback Garrett Williams and edge rusher BJ Ojulari.
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“I think for everybody [it was beneficial],” Gannon said of the bye.
“Just with your health bucket, you start playing games, and the train’s rolling for everybody. The offense versus defense, the pace was really good. … They’re rested, and it looks a little bit different.”
Gannon reiterated: “So it was very beneficial.”
Different is a good thing for the Cardinals. They’ve suffered the same fourth-quarter heartbreak each of the past five games. It’s arrived in a few variations, except the end result has been identical week after week.
Arizona lost three straight games on walk-off field goals, the last of which came against the then-winless Tennessee Titans, who have since fired their head coach. The Cardinals then took fourth-quarter leads against the AFC South-leading Indianapolis Colts and NFC North-leading Green Bay Packers, only to let both of them slip.
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Gannon said Thursday that there’s no “magic sauce” to closing out games.
“No secret ingredient,” he said. “Work, coach better and play better.”
The Cardinals are in a distant fourth place in the NFC West behind a trio of five-win teams in the Seattle Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers.
“I’ve been on both sides throughout my career of digging a hole and getting out of it, being way out of the hole and getting in it,” Gannon said.
“You’re 5-2 and lose seven in a row. That doesn’t feel so good. I’ve been 1-5 and won a playoff game. So there’s different experiences, and every team’s a little bit different. And I think the main thing for us is you can’t look into the future. You can’t look back now. We are where we are. We got to do everything that we need to do to try to win a game. That’s our sole focus.”
As for Murray, he first suffered what’s been reported as a mid-foot sprain during the Cardinals’ embarrassing Week 5 loss to the Titans.
A return to action in Arlington would be fitting for Murray, who made a name for himself as a high school football star in Texas.
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Murray has led the Cardinals to a pair of wins in Jerry World, first in 2020 and then again during the 2021 season. He totaled four passing touchdowns and zero interceptions across those two games, adding one more score on the ground.
If he’s healthy enough to play, he’ll get a chance to add to that Lone Star State résumé Monday.
https://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/breaking-news/article/jonathan-gannon-confirms-cardinals-preparing-kyler-murray-to-start-monday-vs-cowboys-but-keeps-things-vague-202907580.html
