Five bold predictions for Washington Football Team vs. Cardinals in Week 2
2. Washington allows Kyler Murray to run for 100+ yards
Against the 49ers, Murray was the lead rusher for the Cardinals. He racked up 91 yards and a scrambling TD on 13 carries.
Against Washington, Murray will have to rely on his legs once again to help carry the offense. The reason for this is simple. Washington’s defensive line is so adept at getting pressure that Murray will have to be on the move. And if he can escape the pocket, he may find some open running lanes.
This is part of the reason that Murray found success against San Francisco. The 49ers have a strong defensive line, but once they lost contain on Murray, he was able to find space as the linebacking corps and secondary were already locked in on their assignments. And even when they spied Murray, the quarterback is elusive enough to make plays and make the spy work to bring him down.
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Washington will likely try to spy Murray throughout the game, but it will be difficult for them to get consistent results. They’ll be without their fastest linebacker, Cole Holcomb, in this contest, so it’s unclear who they may rely on to help in that regard. Jon Bostic could get the call, so he will need to be ready to help, but it may be tough for the veteran to corral Murray throughout the game.
All told, Murray breaking 100 yards on the ground wouldn’t be a surprise. Between his great scrambling ability and a few designed QB runs or read-option plays, it makes sense for him to key the Cardinals’ run game, especially since he’ll need to break contain against one of the league’s strongest defensive lines to avoid being sacked frequently.