The Arizona Cardinals’ Kyler Murray experiment has had mixed results, typically divided by the midway mark of the NFL’s regular season. For three straight years, Murray has pushed his team above expectations throughout the first half of the season. And for three straight years, his Cardinals have crashed back to Earth and out of Super Bowl contention as the weather grows cold.
There have been several factors at play leading to these annual collapses. In 2019, a team punching above its weight class finally had a mediocre roster catch up to it. In 2020 and 2021, injuries helped turn dominant starts — 13-3 before November 8 those years! — into disappointing finishes.
