TEMPE, Arizona. “Drew Petzing knew this would happen.
At Thursday’s press conference, it only took two questions to introduce him as the Arizona Cardinals’ new offensive coordinator for Petzing to ask about quarterback Kyler Murray.
“I heard this is going to be a hot topic,” Petzing said.
Petzing quickly realized that Murray would be at the center of his work. His interview with new head coach Jonathan Gannon focused mostly on Murray.
“I structured everyone I talked to around Kyler,” Gannon said. “The questions I asked about how philosophically we are going to play offensively, which I think is really difficult for defense in 2023 and beyond, was very much about Kyler.
“And ultimately, in my opinion, one of the number one goals for an offensive coordinator is to maximize the skill set of the quarterback as well as other positions. But we know it’s the position that makes him move. So it was very focused on all the interviews and I liked his response.”
Petzing was ready.
When Petzing, who was quarterback coach for the Cleveland Browns last season, received a phone call shortly after the Super Bowl that he could be interviewed for a job, the first thing he did was look at Murray’s tape and call some of Murray’s former coaches. and teammates. Taking out Petzing?
“One of the appealing things about this job for me was that I could work with a quarterback of his caliber,” Petzing said.
Once Petzing made it to Arizona this week and met Murray, who is recovering from an ACL tear to his right knee that caused him to miss six games in 2022, he spoke to the quarterback for a bit. Petzing said Murray was “extremely involved” in their conversations that didn’t involve football.
“He was great,” Petzing said. “I think he is really attacking the rehab center. Very excited about what’s going on with us so it’s been great getting to know him and I’m looking forward to continuing in the next couple of days.”
Gannon said Murray went into rehab “right on schedule”.
Petzing, an aspiring offensive coordinator, didn’t reveal what his setup would look like, but said whatever his offense ends up with, it will start with his quarterback — just like he pointed out, it happens to every NFL team. . Petzing said he had an idea of what his crime would look like, but added that it would be “an ever-evolving process”.
However, Petzing said he would rely on Murray’s running ability (he averaged 6.2 yards per rush in 2022) when the five-year-old quarterback is fully healthy. Petzing said it’s no secret that Murray’s ability to run makes him “really dangerous to defend”.
“I think one of the things you hear about is how we make it harder on defense. And every time you can use something that the player does well or above average, how he does it, um, it will cause hesitation: “Hey, can I really call it protection?” Can I take a chance knowing that if I miss it could be a big game?” Petzing said. “So I definitely want that to be a big part of his game.”
While Murray will most likely not be on the training field at full strength this offseason, Petzing said Murray will get a crash course on the new offense in the boardroom and during the rounds. There will be quizzes and film work to help Murray stay on top of the scheme, Petzing said.
Gannon plans to make all huddle rooms “highly interactive” by putting players in hotspots. He doesn’t want them to just repeat what they hear – he said he wants them to fully understand it.
“The conference room will be a full-time job for us,” Gannon said. “So even though he’s not on the pitch, he’s going to have psychological stress, I know that.”
Petzing still expects Murray to be ready to play when he is healthy.
“I have complete confidence in him that he will be able to pick up and understand the attack, even though he is not going to get physical reps during training camp,” said Petzing.
Since his relationship with Murray is in its infancy, Petzing wants Murray to understand that he is in his own interest and that they have the same goals, and that Petzing will do everything possible to help Murray achieve those goals.
“And then it’s a personal relationship,” Petzing said, “when you genuinely care about a person outside of football and you wonder who they are, what they do and what they care about and what they know and feel.” what, and what is genuine.
“I think that’s a really big part.”
Gannon understands that it will take time for Petzing and Murray to reach this level together. Both Gannon and Petzing quickly noticed how much the victory meant to him.
“He’s a franchise quarterback for a reason,” Gannon said. “He is determined to do his job so he does what he needs to do to give this team a chance to win and ultimately that is what I really noticed about him in a week and a half.
“But what keeps seeping through this guy is his competitiveness, and that’s a different form of competition that he’s doing now. Some guys were there, some weren’t, but it’s a tough road and you have to have the right mindset to do it.
“And that’s what impressed me so far is just the competitiveness that he has, talk to him a bit about football, the competitiveness that he has, like, ‘We have to do it right, because we have to do is to win.’ That’s what I’d like to hear from your quarterback.”
Source: www.espn.com
