Dark Horse Tavern » Cardinals fans are excited about the sta

rt of the Kingsbury/Murray era in the desert Stitched Jordan Hicks Jersey , but starting the season with both a rookie head coach and starting QB is relatively rare. How have previous inexperienced coach/QB combos fared? (Part 2 of 2.)The Revenge of the Birds podcastGreen in the desert: A look back at previous 1st-year coach/rookie starting QB combos (Part 2)New,3commentsCardinals fans are excited about the start of the Kingsbury/Murray era in the desert, but starting the season with both a rookie head coach and starting QB is relatively rare. How have previous inexperienced coach/QB combos fared? (Part 2 of 2.) Green in the desert: A look back at previous 1st-year coach/rookie starting QB combos (Part 2)Kliff Kingsbury and Kyler Murray come to the desert with a lot of potential—but a dearth of experience.Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY SportsYesterday, we began our look back on the nine previous 1st-year head coach/rookie starting QB duos. Today, we finish with the final five teams, as well as some final observations.We pick things up in 2011 with a certain mobile QB who shattered NFL records in his first season.2011 Carolina PanthersBradford (that sentence is even funnier in 2019). Replacing Kelly and Bradford were former Eagles player and assistant Doug Pederson and #2 overall pick Carson Wentz out of North Dakota State. Pederson was well regarded at the time, and scouts loved Wentz, but no one was predicting that they’d be a Super Bowl team the very next season (with Foles back in the fold).The 2016 season was one for growth, as the team realized Wentz was a better option than Bradford in training camp and traded him to the Vikings for a 1st-rounder(!). Pederson turned the offense over to Wentz, who threw the ball 600+ times in his rookie year. His numbers weren’t exactly eye-popping, but they were solid for a rookie (3,782 yards Youth Jordan Hicks Jersey , 62.4 completion %, 16:14 TD:INT ratio, 6.2 YPA). The Eagles started a surprising 3-0 in 2016 but faded down the stretch, finishing 7-9. But the next season, Wentz was the leading MVP candidate when he went down with a torn ACL, setting the stage for Foles’s Super Bowl glory.What can the Cardinals learn from this Eagles team?These things take time. It took the Wentz and the rest of the Eagles offense a year to fully learn Pederson’s system. Their offense regressed slightly back toward the middle of the pack from Kelly’s last season to Pederson’s first, but in Year 2 under Pederson, they fielded one of the best offenses in the league. So Cardinals fans should be patient if Kingsbury and Murray don’t provide fireworks right away. Those should come in Year 2.Final ThoughtsThe 2019 Arizona Cardinals will be the 10th team since 2000 to enter Week 1 with a 1st-year head coach and rookie starting QB. Here are my main takeaways from this look at the previous nine teams:The average team on this list improved by 3 wins from the previous season. That would put the Cardinals at 6-10 in 2019, which seems like a reasonable baseline expectation for the team.Of the nine coach/QB combos, four made the playoffs in their first season. More compellingly, three eventually made Super Bowl appearances, and two won it—Harbaugh and Flacco in 2012 and Pederson and Wentz in 2017.Most of the immediate success stories were teams that largely took the ball out of their rookie QB’s hands and relied on a strong running game and Stitched Robert Alford Jersey , ideally, a strong defense. The 2008 Falcons, 2008 Ravens, and 2009 Jets rode this approach to the playoffs. This doesn’t seem to be a viable approach for the Cardinals given the offensive line situation and the system Kingsbury wants to run.The other team on this list to make the playoffs was the 2012 Indianapolis Colts, who basically plugged a generational talent in at QB (Luck) to replace another one (Manning). Although the Cardinals are sky-high on Murray, I don’t think anyone would argue that he’s quite as good a prospect as Luck. So I’m not sure how instructive that Colts season would be for the Redbirds.Tannehill and Manuel were clearly lesser prospects than Murray given the scouting reports at the time and their eventual draft positions. I don’t think there’s a ton to take away from their first seasons.Of all the quarterbacks on this list, the two that resemble Murray the most seem to be Newton and Wentz—high draft picks who were expected to throw a ton in their first seasons. Newton’s mobility especially makes him an apt comparison (although not his size), although Wentz isn’t exactly immobile either (at least before his ACL injury). Both of those QBs finished short of .500 in their rookie seasons, but quickly established themselves among the best at the position—although it must be said that they both have prototypical QB size/stature. Could Murray follow a similar career trajectory despite his height/size disadvantages?Regardless of how the season turns out, the 2019 Arizona Cardinals will be a fascinating team to watch. Success or failure, the entire NFL will have its eyes on the Redbirds this season. Maybe this green duo in the desert will wither and die on the vine—or perhaps it will bloom into something truly special. This week, Steve Keim sat down with Scott Bordow of The Athletic to share his thoughts on 4 distinctive Kyler Murray plays. I will try to add some details and depth to their discussion.Play 1:...The Revenge of the Birds podcastAnalysis of Keim’s 4 Murray Plays with Scott Bordow (The Athletic)New Youth Robert Alford Jersey ,8comments Analysis of Keim’s 4 Murray Plays with Scott Bordow (The Athletic)Arizona Republic-USA TODAY NETWOThis week, Steve Keim sat down with Scott Bordow of The Athletic to share his thoughts on 4 distinctive Kyler Murray plays. I will try to add some details and depth to their discussion.Play 1: Vs. Alabama @ Orange BowlFormation: Twins (2 receivers) to both side, Shotgun Pistol (RB behind QB), left slot WR motions right.Play: Fake run left, Deep Post to right side outside WR.Result: Off play action left, Murray looks to back to his right, as a defender breaks through the line unblocked. Murray dekes the defender and slips past him to the right but keeps his eyes downfield and on the run throws a post TD dime to his WR (#2 CeeDee Lamb) over two Alabama defenders.Key: Despite the play breaking down, neither the OL or the WR quit or slow down on the play. Play 2: Vs. Baylor @ OklahomaFormation: Shotgun, balanced backfield (2 RBs flanking the QB)---twin right (TE in slot), X WR left. Play: Fake run left, TE post pass.Result: Off the play action Murray, checks middle to see if the FS is guarding the post Stitched Markus Golden Jersey , Murray shifts his head to the right as a decoy then comes back to the middle to throw a high back shoulder post pass TD to the TE (#80, Grant Calcaterra).Key: Murray knew off his first check for the FS that the post pass was going to be there, but decoyed with a quick look to his right and then fired the back shoulder TD to the post.Play 3: Vs. Army @ ArmyFormation: Trips left (with TE in slot), X WR right, Shotgun, RB to left.Play: Pass---likely designed as an isolation pass right to the X WR. Result: The RDE over-commits wide on his pass rush, Murray sees the gate open to his right and bolts through it, makes an inside-out move on the LB, then splits two defenders and then beats the FS up the right sideline for a 33 yard TD.Key: Murray does not hesitate when he sees the gate open and makes a full commitment to the run. showing quick moves in the open field, inside-out, straight burst and then a bolt up the sidelines.Play 4: Vs. Texas Tech @ Texas TechFormation: Trips right (TE lined up one step back from RT’s outside leg), X WR left Youth Markus Golden Jersey , Shotgun, RB to right).Play: Fake run left, QB sprint right, corner pass to Big Slot WR right.Result: After the play action left, Murray sprints right toward his 3 receiver side, with the LB bearing down on him, he throws a dime to his big slot WR on a corner pass TD to #84 Lee Morris (one of Murray’s Allen High School WRs). Key: Murray once again shows his uncanny timing and touch while passing on the run. The timing is so good that Morris has enough room to make the catch near the sideline and turn it upfield for the TD.What these 4 Plays Highlight:* Murray’s ability to win from the pocket and off of the run (both in passing and rushing).* Murray’s uncanny ability to elude pressure and then slow his throwing motion down while on the move.* Murray’s ability to throw the ball where only his receiver can catch it.* Murray’s exemplary sense of timing from the pocket and outside of the pocket.