SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Quarterback Kyler Murray may stand at just 5-foot-10 and 207 pounds, but on Sunday he carried the Arizona Cardinals‘ run game.
With running back David Johnson playing just seven snaps — all coming in the first half — and not touching the ball once, Murray ended up being the complement to starting running back Kenyan Drake in a 36-26 loss to the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium
Drake finished with 55 snaps, two days after Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury said he would use a running-back-by-committee approach. Sunday was the first time since Johnson’s rookie season in 2015 that he didn’t have a carry during a game in which he played.
Murray picked up the necessary slack, rushing for 67 yards and a touchdown on eight carries to match Drake’s 67 yards, which he gained on 16 carries. Murray nearly single-handedly won Arizona the game with a 22-yard touchdown run with 6:35 left that put the Cardinals ahead 26-23. But the Niners scored a touchdown with 31 seconds left and then tacked on a defensive score on the final play of the game.
Murray, again, showed the maturity and composure of a more experienced quarterback, directing the Cardinals to an early 16-0 lead. He completed 24 of 33 passes for 150 yards and two touchdowns on the day.
Describe the game in two words: Second half. The Cardinals couldn’t muster much of anything offensively or defensively in the second half when they were outscored 26-10.
Biggest hole in the game plan: Yet again the Cardinals’ struggled to defend tight ends. On Sunday, it was 49ers tight end Ross Dwelley, who caught his first two career touchdown passes against the Cardinals. Arizona now has given up 12 touchdowns to tight ends this season, the most in the NFL.
Pivotal play: Rookie wide receiver KeeSean Johnson fumbled away a catch with 31 seconds left. The 49ers recovered and were able to secure the win.