MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — A quick heads up to the Arizona Cardinals’ remaining opponents:
Don’t copy the Miami Dolphins’ uber-aggressive approach to shutting down Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr.
If you do, the result will be similar to what we saw here Sunday: a massive day for Arizona’s dynamic QB-WR tandem — and probably a loss.
Marvin Harrison Jr., Kyler Murray Roast Miami Dolphins’ Defense
Murray was absolutely electric in the Cardinals’ 28-27 victory over the Dolphins, particularly in the second half.
Murray completed 81.8% of his passes and had 229 of his 307 passing yards after halftime. Harrison had six catches for 111 yards and a touchdown Sunday, and the vast majority of that production came after the break.
But numbers alone cannot capture just how impressive these players were. Harrison had two incredible, critical sideline catches Sunday — a 22-yard touchdown on Jalen Ramsey and a 16-yarder on 3rd-and-4 that extended another Cardinals touchdown drive.
Murray was pure magic on Sunday, but the Dolphins made it easy on him by recklessly blitzing far too often and far too ineffectively. Those failed gambles allowed the Cardinals’ mobile quarterback to break contain and extend plays.
They took that high-risk, high-reward approach despite being without three of their top six defensive backs in the second half: Jevon Holland (knee), Kader Kohou (neck), and Storm Duck (ankle).
“I think that was kind of the game plan going in, and you know the stress that you put on coverage and you know you try to be effective in rush lanes,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said of the team’s blitz-heavy gameplan.
“I think that hindsight is 20/20. I did agree with our game plan going into it. In those situations, the guys know that it does put a high, high priority on guys that are free and have a shot at the quarterback that you have to really rely on your technique and fundamentals, especially with a guy like that.
“I’m sure when I look at tape there will be a handful of plays that we’ll talk through, [Anthony Weaver] and I. But for the most part, I thought guys were in position to make plays and there was just some critical ones we didn’t make and they did, and that’s how you score more points for the opponent.”
Mike McDaniel reacts to 2-5 pic.twitter.com/TzahqMboHv
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) October 27, 2024
That’s certainly true. The Dolphins had too many missed tackles to count offhand, including a shockingly large number by the normally dependable David Long Jr. The Cardinals also picked on the Dolphins’ linebacker in coverage, and several of those blitzes left Long on an island with tight end Trey McBride (who went for a 9-124 stat line on Sunday).
In all, the Dolphins blitzed Murray on 15 of his 36 pass attempts. He completed nine of those attempts for 97 yards and a touchdown (for a passer rating of 101.3).
Murray also had 19 rushing yards on five carries, the last of which gave Arizona a first down on 3rd-and-4 that let Arizona run out the clock and kick its game-winning field goal with 0:00 left in regulation.
“He’s up there with the best in the business,” Dolphins defensive tackle Calais Campbell said of Murray. “We had a lot of opportunities on him, you know, a lot of guys, unblocked, get to him, but he makes a guy miss and throws the ball away and those are hidden yardage.
“Those are big plays, especially when it comes to momentum.”
Added McDaniel: “One of the stronger games I’ve seen by a quarterback in Kyler Murray. He made a lot of plays for them.”