1. Explosive quarterbacks
In Week 2 of Kyler Murray’s rookie season, the 1st overall pick in 2019 completed passes of 54, 6 and 18 yards on consecutive plays near the start of the fourth quarter at Baltimore. The Ravens were penalized for defensive pass interference on the next snap and then David Johnson rushed for a 1-yard touchdown.
Afterward, Murray nailed a 2-point throw and turned a 20-9 deficit into a 20-17 nail-biter.
Jackson, the 32nd overall pick one year prior, responded with a couple first-down-gaining throws and another chain-moving rush before Baltimore tacked on a field goal. That proved to be all she wrote as Arizona failed to advance past its 26 on its final two possessions. Murray finished the contest with 349 passing yards, his sixth-most in 87 games, but rushed for only 4 and wasn’t responsible for a touchdown.
Jackson, meanwhile, accounted for 272 yards and two scores through the air and paced all rushers with 120 yards on 16 carries (7.5 avg.). The QBs combined for 745 total yards and committed zero turnovers.
We prefaced this section with that because it’s the lone instance of Murray and Jackson, two of history’s best dual-threats, meeting in a competitive football environment until this week, and fireworks are likely.
Murray and Jackson, both 29 years old, are both building comfort in new offenses this year. That lends itself to growing pains in practice, which is the perfect stage to make and learn from mistakes. That fact is worth remembering if you attend the sessions, and so are the protections in place for quarterbacks. In other words, defenders don’t have the freedom to hit Murray or Jackson. Also, the odds are slim to none that they will use their legs in the same ways they will in the regular season when reps are truly “live.”
Still, it will be a thrill to see their skill sets inside the pocket and outside of it juxtaposed.