GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Kliff Kingsbury and his “nice college offense” are looking pretty good these days for the Washington Commanders.
Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray is quite familiar with the highs and lows Kingsbury’s leadership can bring. Kingsbury — now the offensive coordinator in Washington — was Murray’s mentor and head coach with the Cardinals from 2019-22.
The Commanders (2-1) travel to face the Cardinals (1-2) on Sunday for a reunion. Murray isn’t letting the moment get too big.
“To be honest, I’ve done it before,” Murray said. “I’ve competed against him before and many other coaches that I’ve been coached by. It doesn’t really affect me. My goal is to go out and win the game.”
Kingsbury was hired as the Cardinals’ head coach in 2019, largely because the team wanted an offensive mind to guide Murray, who was taken with the No. 1 pick out of Oklahoma. The coach lasted four up-and-down seasons before being fired following a 4-13 record in 2022.
But there were some highlights. The Cardinals had an 11-win season in 2021, making the playoffs before losing to the Rams in the wild-card round. Murray was selected to two Pro Bowls under Kingsbury’s tutelage. The coach’s Air Raid-inspired offense — at least at times — worked very well.
Kingsbury said it has been fun watching Murray improve from afar.
“At the end of last year, you could see the confidence getting back in his knee,” Kingsbury said. “He made a bunch of big plays and played really well. He’s played great this season. They are a couple plays away from being undefeated. You see the speed, the quickness, the competitive nature is there.
“He’s a guy that I basically banked my entire career on what he would be. I still believe in it. It’s cool to see him playing well.”
The Murray-Kingsbury partnership eventually fizzled, but there doesn’t appear to be much animosity. Murray is thriving under new head coach Jonathan Gannon and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing. Kingsbury is doing well, too, leading a Washington offense that’s thriving under rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels.
Murray declined to say which coaching staff’s offense was superior.
“Two different systems,” Murray said. “One is more reliant on certain things, and the other one is more reliant on other things.
No punt offense
Washington’s longest-tenured player is punter Tress Way, and for years of organizational struggles, he may have been the team’s best player on the field many days over the past decade.
Not the past two games.
The Commanders have not needed Way to punt since Week 1, scoring on all their possessions except for kneel downs. He is handling it just fine, even if selfishly he would like to be able to do his job.
“I am having a lot of fun just out there holding and the leg feels pretty fresh, so it’s been a lot of fun,” Way said. “It’s pretty cool.”
Conner’s rebound
James Conner had one of this worst games as a member of the Cardinals last weekend, running for just 17 yards on nine carries against the Lions. According to recent history, he’s due for a big game.
The last three times Conner has run for 50 yards or less in a game, he has followed that performance with at least 100 yards on the ground.
The Cardinals also hope to get backup running back Trey Benson more involved with the offense. Benson was expected to have a sizable impact this season after being drafted in the third round out of Florida State, but has run for just 31 yards on 16 carries this season.
Defensive struggles
Commanders defensive tackle Jonathan Allen thanked the offense for the victory at Cincinnati on Monday night, acknowledging he and his unit still have some work to do after allowing Joe Burrow and the Bengals to rack up 436 yards and 33 points.
Washington’s defense ranks 29th in the NFL and 31st against the pass, a combination of an ineffective pass rush and a largely inexperienced secondary. Cornerback Emmanuel Forbes has had his own struggles early in his pro career, but his return from surgery to repair a torn ligament in his right thumb means the return of another body against Murray, Harrison and the Cardinals.
Beat-up defense
The Cardinals will play their first game without defensive lineman Justin Jones, who injured a triceps against the Lions last weekend and will miss the rest of the season.
Jones was one of the team’s key free agent additions during the offseason, signing a three-year deal worth nearly $20 million in guarnteed money.
Arizona’s already without second-year linebacker BJ Ojulari, who suffered a season-ending knee injury in training camp. The Cardinals are also awaiting the debut of rookie defensive lineman Darius Robinson, who is working through a calf injury and must miss one more game after being put on injured reserve.
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AP Sports Writer Stephen Whyno in Washington contributed to this report.
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