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    • Kyler Murray allays his injury concerns before the Cardinals vs. Dolphins game
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    Kyler Murray allays his injury concerns before the Cardinals vs. Dolphins game

    Kathleen William Posted on

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    Don't look now, but Kyler Murray is starting to look like Kyler Murray.

    He plays with his legs and keeps the Arizona Cardinals in contention for a playoff spot and an NFC West title. And what he's been filming lately will certainly put pressure on the Dolphins' defense on Sunday in Miami.

    Over the past three weeks, Murray has had two of the longest quarterback runs in franchise history.

    “It’s fun,” Murray said. “Any time you can demonstrate the ability that God has blessed you with, it’s fun.”

    Murray had a 44-yard touchdown run in Monday night's win over the Chargers. And against the 49ers this month, he had a 50-yarder that crossed the goal line.

    Just don't expect him to be too happy about it.

    “I’m a reserved guy,” said the taciturn Texas native. “If you know, then you know.”

    Murray's running ability makes him one of the most talented players in the league. And he looks like a real dual threat for the first time in years.

    His career highlights include a 2-point conversion against the Raiders in 2022, in which he scrambled for about 20 seconds and covered about 80 yards while zigzagging back and forth behind the line of scrimmage before finally going into the End zone jogged.

    There are no more than five other players in league history who could have made that play, and one of them wasn't even a quarterback. (For the record, name me Mike Vick, Fran Tarkenton, Steve Young, Randall Cunningham and Barry Sanders. That's all. That's the list.)

    Murray didn't run much last year when he first came back from a torn ACL that kept him on the sidelines for a year.

    Sure, he moved around a bit, and his 244 yards in eight games was a respectable total.

    But in 2020, Murray ran for 819 yards, including 106 on the ground, with a touchdown at 9.6 yards per carry in his only other game against Miami.

    He just didn't look like the same threat last year. You'll forgive him if he thought about the injury, but he doesn't think about it anymore.

    “No,” he said. “I’m not trying.”

    NFL Playoff Image Week 8: Where are the Cardinals now?

    I've watched Murray throughout his career and I think he's just more comfortable out there.

    “I feel like it’s an ongoing process,” he said. “One day you feel good. One day you may not feel good. You never know. But it’s getting better every day.”

    The approach is entirely Zen, which is fitting. Murray's idol is Bruce Lee, who made the phrase “Be Water” famous.

    Water can adapt to its container.

    It's kind of the same with Murray.

    Water adapts to fit into a container. Murray adapts to destroy a container.

    If a defense tries to take away the run, he can pass. If a defense tries to take away the pass, he can run.

    At least he can now.

    If there were any doubts about how much he trusts his legs, they are gone.

    “It feels good,” Murray said. “It definitely feels good. Every piece is different. Every game is different. You never know when these opportunities will arise. But you try to make the best of it when they do.”

    There may not be too many chances against the Dolphins.

    Miami's defense has only allowed one quarterback to rush for more than 10 yards this season. (Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson ran for 56 yards in a 16-10 win over the Dolphins last week.)

    Miami has allowed just three passing touchdowns all season, best in the NFL. The Dolphins are 14Th in points allowed per game and fourth in yards allowed per game.

    “It’s a good defense,” Murray said.

    The Dolphins are also looking forward to the return of starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

    Murray may have to outwork a Dolphins team that's desperate, but maybe that's okay because Kyler Murray looks like Kyler Murray again.

    When he plays with his legs, he puts pressure on the defense that few others can. And maybe that's the key to the Cardinals making a serious playoff push and contending for the division title.

    It's certainly the key to beating the Dolphins on Sunday.

    Reach Moore at [email protected] or 602-444-2236. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @SayingMoore.

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    Kathleen William
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