Multi-talented Cardinals QB Kyler Murray has parlayed a great supporting cast into an MVP-like start to his third NFL season. (USA Today)
Cleveland Browns scouting report: Arizona Cardinals
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Editor's note: Tony Grossi is an analyst on the Cleveland Browns for TheLandOnDemand.com and 850 ESPN Cleveland.
Browns v. Arizona Cardinals
Sunday, 4:05 p.m., in FirstEnergy Stadium
Record: 5-0.
Last game: Defeated San Francisco 49ers, 17-10, Oct. 10, in Glendale, AZ.
Coach: Kliff Kingsbury, 18-18-1, third season.
Series record: Cardinals lead, 5-2.
Last meeting: Cardinals won, 38-24, Dec. 15, 2019, in Glendale.
League rankings: Offense is sixth overall (eighth rushing, seventh passing), defense is 13th overall, (28th rushing, eighth passing), and turnover differential is plus-5.
Things to watch
1. The NFL’s only undefeated team could be without some key starters on Sunday. Tight end Maxx Williams (knee) is headed to injured reserve and center Rodney Hudson (ribs) is probably going to miss the game. Cornerbacks Byron Murphy (ribs) and Marco Wilson (ribs) probably will start the practice week on the sidelines. And edge rusher Chandler Jones was placed on the COVID-19 reserve list after reportedly testing positive. Jones, who had five sacks in the season-opener but none since, needs to test negative two times in a 24-hour period and be asymptomatic in order to return for the game.
2. In his third season, quarterback Kyler Murray has entered the early conversation for league MVP honors. Operating almost exclusively out of the shotgun formation, Murray is first in completion percentage (75.2), sixth in yards (1,512), third in average gain per attempt (9.16 yards) and fourth in passer rating (113.0). Murray’s 30 runs for 110 yards and 3 touchdowns are mostly on scrambles from pressure, as Kingsbury has sought to reduced his quarterback’s designed runs.
3. Murray is surrounded by an elite cast of receivers. All-Pro DeAndre Hopkins (23 receptions, 312 yards, 4 touchdowns), former Cincinnati Bengals A.J. Green (16, 261, 2), Christian Kirk (21, 283, 2) and rookie 4.32 speedster Rondale Moore (21, 270, 1) all have better numbers than any Browns receiver. Moore, 5-7 and 180 pounds, has given the offense the dimension of a multi-purpose offensive weapon. He can line up the backfield and run with option pitches or be a lethal play-maker on bubble screens and short passes.
4. J.J. Watt chose the Cardinals in free agency over the Browns and has been healthy for all five games so far. Watt doesn’t have a sack, but he’s been a disrupter with four tackles-for-loss and six quarterback hits.
5. Two impact players on the Cardinals defense are free safety Budda Baker and linebacker Isaiah Simmons. Baker has been a first-team All-Pro in two of his first four seasons. Simmons, in his second year, has been a versatile defender with size and speed to cover backs and tight ends.
Did you know … ?
1. The Cardinals had at least 30 points and 400 yards total offense in each of their first four games. They were only the fifth team in NFL history to do that and the previous four reached the Super Bowl. The streak was snapped in Game 5. The 49ers held the Cardinals to 17 points and 304 yards.
2. Since Murray took over as franchise quarterback in 2019, the Cardinals had not won a game when scoring fewer than 24 points – until last week when they beat the 49ers, 17-10.
3. Andy Lee is an amazing punter. He was the Browns punter in 2015. At the age of 33, Lee averaged 46.7 yards on 70 punts with the Browns. Since that season, Lee’s gross averages have been: 49.1, 47.3, 48.6, 47.8, 44.8, and this year, at the age of 39, 50.6.
4. The Cardinals have not visited FirstEnergy Stadium for a regular-season game since Nov. 1, 2015. Only two players who played in that game will be on the field on Sunday. One is Cardinals linebacker Markus Golden. The other is Lee, who played with the Browns in that 2015 meeting.
Small world: Punter Andy Lee played for the Browns in 2015 … Tight end Demetrius Harris played for the Browns in 2019 … Backup quarterback Colt McCoy was a third-round draft choice of the Browns in 2010 and played with them through 2012 … Linebacker Tanner Vallejo played for the Browns in 2018 … Offensive quality control coach Jim Dray played tight end for the Browns in 2014-15 and was an offensive quality control coach in 2019 … Tight ends coach Steve Heiden played tight end for the Browns 2002-09 … Linebackers coach Bill Davis coached for the Browns in 1999 and 2011-12 … Strength and conditioning coach Buddy Morris held the same position with the Browns 2002-04.
