Much like his previous six outings inside AT&T Stadium, Kyler Murray proved once again to be the best player on the field.
Returning home with the backdrop of Monday Night Football hanging overhead naturally raises the stakes. But, after a shaky start, the Bedford, Texas native settled in and made the most of his first return as a pro to his home state, turning in 262 total yards and three total touchdowns in a lopsided 38-10 Cardinals victory over the Cowboys.
"Me personally, I felt a little off all night. It wasn't, the butterflies for me weren't too much. I felt good all day, but I think we left a lot of things out there tonight," Murray told ESPN's Lisa Salters after the game. "But you know, it was a great Monday night victory for us. Defense played well, offense played well. Can't ask for much more."
It wasn't a particularly efficient night for Murray, who completed just nine of 24 pass attempts for 188 yards, but he capitalized on most of his opportunities as they presented themselves, going three of four in the red zone.
Murray's first three drives totaled 25 net yards and ended in punts, signs that perhaps the spotlight caused the young QB to press his foot a little more on the gas than usual. Murray was afforded the chance to take advantage of Dallas' shoddy defense after Arizona's D forced consecutive short drives thanks to a pair of Ezekiel Elliott fumbles.
Murray connected with receiver Christian Kirk on a 6-yard shovel pass for the game's first TD and running back Kenyan Drake, who had a spectacular day, punched in another. After Dallas was forced to punt on its next drive, Murray needed just one play -- an 80-yard beauty of a pass to Kirk -- to put Arizona up, 21-0, before halftime. Three more second-half scoring drives -- one of which Murray finished for his 10th career rushing TD -- followed to give the Cards the emphatic win.
With Week 6 in the books, Murray is now 7-0 dating back to high school when playing on the Cowboys' home field, accounting for at least three touchdowns in all seven games, according to NFL Research. Always a reserved competitor, Murray downplayed his perfect stadium record when talking to Salters but admitted that Monday night wasn't some run-of-the-mill win.
"It's special, I'm not gonna lie," Murray said. "I tried to not make it about me all week, 'cause it's not about me, it's about my team. And we came out here and got the job done against a good Cowboys team, but like you said, coming back home, I think anybody wants to get a win coming back home and I'm happy we did."
