The Detroit Lions take on the Arizona Cardinals on the road on Sunday, September 22, and when it comes to franchise quarterbacks, it will be Jared Goff against Kyler Murray. Former NFL quarterback-turned-Fox Sports commentator Tom Brady has been paying attention to up-and-coming players this season, and in his “Tom Brady’s 3 Stars of Week 2” feature for Fox, he names Murray as one of the stars to watch. He also puts the Cardinals inside his Top 5 NFL teams tally after week 2.
Tom Brady Gives Props to the Arizona Cardinals
In the September 19 feature for Fox Sports about stars to watch, Brady gives Murray credit for his performance against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, September 15. For Week 2, Murray was 17-for-21 with 266 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions and a 158.3 passer rating. The Cardinals won, 41-20.
“He finished the game with a perfect passer rating,” Brady noted. “He also had 59 rush yards. He threw touchdown passes on each of the first three possessions, two of them to Marvin Harrison Jr. What a great start they’re off to. They took a huge lead against [the Los Angeles Rams] at home. They put up 41 points. Great job, Kyler.”
Also, in his September 20 feature on the Top 5 NFL teams going into Week 3, Brady puts the Cardinals at No. 5, saying, “They’re off to a great start.”
Brady isn’t the only one taking notice of Murray and the Cardinals. In a September 21 feature for Sports Illustrated, NFL expert and writer Alex D’Agostino says the “question marks” about Murray are starting to evaporate.
“So far, it certainly looks like Murray has begun to mature into more of a decisive, intellectual archetype of quarterback,” he stated. “The arm talent, elusiveness and big play ability is there, but it’s the little things Murray has done in his first two games that have stood out to this writer.”
D’Agostino added, “He’s been efficient, generally mistake free, and has made quality decisions with the football in both games so far. With how poised he’s been in the pocket, and a more positive, mature attitude off the field, he’s definitively shown his potential to be both the leader and the passer Arizona needs.”
Sports editor Kyle Odegard of Sports Casting also talks Murray up in a September 20 piece. In it, he says Murray is “repaying” Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon’s “belief in him.”
“The non-stop praise Gannon has showered on Murray during their 16 months together has always been duplicated privately, as the first-time head coach has held a steadfast belief in Murray’s ability to be the high-end quarterback we’ve seen through two weeks in 2024,” he stated, later adding that, “an upset victory of the Lions away from becoming the toast of the NFL.”
NFL Analyst ‘Not Worried’ About the Lions Going Into Week 3
Heading into the Cardinals game, not everyone is so sure Murray and Arizona will overtake Goff and the Lions. After all, the Lions are often underrated. It’s part of their identity and success.
In a September 21 piece for Pride of Detroit, writer and analyst Jeremy Reisman says he’s “not worried” about the Detroit Lions’ shaky offensive start. The team is averaging 21.0 points per game and ranked 16th in the NFL. They’re also averaging 5.7 yards per play and ranked 11th in the NFL.
“There is no evidence in Goff’s career that he will continue to struggle like this,” he wrote. “My overall concern level for the offense—especially considering I didn’t even mention how successful they remain at running the ball (highest success rate in the NFL)—is about 2.5 out of 10.”
Judging by Detroit’s familiar “Jared Goff, Jared Goff, Jared Goff” chants, fans are likely not too worried about Brady’s flowery words about the competitors, either.
