Kyler Murray faced one of the NFL's best defenses right out of the gate and had quite the day.
Even though the passing numbers were mediocre, Murray's fantastic rushing performance in Sunday’s 24-20 upset of the 49ers led him to the fifth-best Total QBR of all Week 1 quarterbacks.
His 85.0 rating was only topped by Lamar Jackson (94.1), Aaron Rodgers (92.9), Patrick Mahomes (90.4) and Russell Wilson (87.5).
Murray accumulated 10.7 expected points added in the contest, which was the second-most among quarterbacks behind Rodgers (11.1). His 5.7 expected points added on the ground was the most in the league, with only Cam Newton (4.0 EPA) anywhere close.
Murray is unfazed by MVP talk, but this was the type of start that gives credence to his spot within that discussion.
Other numbers of note following the Cardinals' Week 1 win over the 49ers:
- Football Outsiders was optimistic about the Cardinals before the season began and is even moreso after the season-opening victory. The team is now being given a 54.9 percent chance to make the playoffs, up 10.8 percent from before the season.
- The Cardinals are No. 16 in ESPN’s Football Power Index, up six spots from before the season. That tied with the Raiders for the biggest jump of the week. They are also No. 16 in Football Outsiders' DAVE DVOA, which attempts to accurately project how a team will play the rest of the season.
- Murray was sacked/hit the fifth-least among quarterbacks heading into Monday Night Football, according to The Athletic. It's notable for two reasons: the 49ers have a great pass-rush, and Murray was sacked a league-high-tying 48 times last year.
