The Arizona Cardinals had a good opportunity to start their regular season with a win when they took a first-half lead against the Buffalo Bills, but instead they fell apart and lost 34-28.
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray was decent, as he went 21-for-31 for 162 yards and a touchdown pass while adding 57 rushing yards on five carries, but he couldn’t get it done in crunch time down by just one possession.
Though he was a full participant in practice preparing for their Week 2 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, Murray showed up on the injury report with a knee ailment, according to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport.
#AZCardinals QB Kyler Murray popped up on the practice report with a knee injury — though he’s a full participant.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 11, 2024
Last year at this time, Murray was recovering from the torn ACL he suffered late in the 2022 season, and he eventually returned to throw for 1,799 yards and 10 touchdowns and run for 244 yards and three touchdowns in eight games.
Because of that injury, it’s easy to forget he made the Pro Bowl in 2020 and 2021, his last two healthy seasons in the NFL.
Arizona will face two very good teams in the next two weeks in the Rams and Detroit Lions, and will need a fully healthy and productive Murray in order to have a chance at victory.
They will also have to find a way to get rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., the No. 4 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, more involved offensively after he had just one catch for four yards and was targeted only three times against the Bills.
The Arizona defense, which allowed Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen to go 18-for-23 with two passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns, will also need to improve moving forward.
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