Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur compared Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray to a “water worm” and said his defense needs to limit the number of off-schedule plays Murray can make during Sunday’s matchup at Lambeau Field.
LaFleur talked about the challenge of facing Murray during his appearance on the show “Matt LaFleur Podcast” with Matt Schneidman of The Athletic.
“Kyler is something different because he can make all these plays off the schedule, he can beat you with his legs, he can beat you with his arm. He’s not the biggest guy… but he’s like a water bug. He can’t be caught. Finding a way to stop him and cage him will be a huge challenge for our defense. If he starts to hamper the game outside of the schedule, he doesn’t have much of a chance of playing. It will create some scenes with explosions and that will be a problem.
The statistics confirm LaFleur’s fears.
On plays where Murray holds the ball for longer than 2.5 seconds, he completes 66.7 percent of his passes and averages 9.1 yards per attempt, per PFF. His six touchdown passes while holding the ball for more than 2.5 seconds rank third among quarterbacks this season. His passing grade of 122.1 is first. Murray also climbed 11 times. In five games, Murray rushed for 247 yards, averaging over 10 yards per rush.
Most quarterbacks are most effective when they play quickly and timely from the pocket. Murray is a different breed. He is one of the best improvisers in the game, and his combination of miniature size, incredible athletic ability and creativity as a runner and escape artist make him one of the best off-schedule quarterbacks in football.
The Packers are no stranger to playing athletic quarterbacks this season. LaFleur’s team faced Jalen Hurts early in the season and Anthony Richardson in Week 2, and the Packers confined off-schedule and rushing opportunities for both quarterbacks with a containment scheme. The same will be applied to Murray on Sunday.
LaFleur said the goal would be to thicken Murray’s pockets and limit escape routes. The idea is to make the pocket uncomfortable without overcommitting the field and providing an opportunity to get out of the pocket and cause damage as a runner or thrower.
Here’s a play that shows what Murray can do as a quarterback off the schedule:
KYLER MURRAY ARE YOU SERIOUS?! 😱
📺: #LARvsAZ on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/gfHzqbrZ0w— NFL (@NFL) September 15, 2024
The Rams had Murray right in the pocket, but somehow he found a breakaway, got out of the pocket, got to his feet and threw an amazing touchdown pass.
The Packers’ pass rush was disappointing early in the 2024 season, but LaFleur consistently cited the pass rush in Weeks 1 and 2 as a reason. Expect another containment plan on Sunday against Murray. Pressure is always significant, but the Packers clearly want to keep Murray in the pocket and limit the number of games off the schedule.
