All Sooners

Sooners in the NFL: Oklahoma Quarterbacks Steal the Sunday Spotlight

Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield turned heads in a pair of big wins this weekend.

Ross Lovelace

Sep 15, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) throws against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
Sep 15, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) throws against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images / Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images
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It’s certainly too early to start the MVP conversation in the NFL, but a few more weeks like this one for Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield would put the former Oklahoma quarterbacks near the top of the list.

Once again, the former Sooners were extremely impressive on the field, and this time, both signal callers walked away with wins. Murray’s Cardinals and Mayfield’s Bucs both came into the season underrated but the tone around the teams seem to be changing quickly.

Mayfield’s win was a big one for Tampa Bay. The Detroit Lions were a game away from the Super Bowl last season and knocked the Buccaneers out of the playoffs. They were one of the favorites in the NFC this season. Mayfield and company marched into Detroit and upset the Lions on their home turf. The former Heisman winning quarterback controlled the game, completing 12-of-19 passes for 185 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He also added five rushes for 34 yards and one score on the ground.

"We stick together and obviously had a better outcome than the last time we were here," Mayfield said. "It's a new season, there are a lot of games left but for us, building chemistry, building resiliency, the culture we want, this is a huge win for us."

The always animated quarterback said before the game that his team would have a chip on their shoulder after the Lions knocked them out of the playoffs a season ago, and they sure played like it. Mayfield ran hard and pulled off a few miraculous escapes from the pocket. He delivered balls on time and found his receivers open down field after extending the play.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell said he wanted to put the game on Mayfield’s shoulders this week, and Mayfield responded with a road victory. After the game, he could’ve taken the bait and responded directly to Campbell, but he praised his team instead.

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“You know, it’s never an individual effort,” Mayfield said. “It’s not. I can’t say enough about our defense. That is not an easy team to play against. 

“Honestly, horrible clock management on my part on that last drive there. Gotta make them take a timeout to where they can’t have an extra one. It’s always good to learn lessons when you win. We can be better on offense but this is a tough game, tough environment, and I’m so proud of our guys the way we hung in there."

Murray’s victory was less dramatic and more dominant. From the first snap of the game, he was completely locked in. It certainly helped that he found a connection with his superstar rookie Marvin Harrison Jr.

The former Heisman Trophy winner threw for 266 yards on 17-of-21 passing, three touchdowns, and zero turnovers. He probably could’ve racked up even more stats if the Cardinals didn’t blow the Rams out of the water. He led a 41-10 beat down of Los Angeles, including a 24-3 halftime lead. Harrison Jr., his newest weapon, tallied four receptions for 130 yards and two touchdowns.

Murray also used his legs quite a bit on Sunday, making magic happen, adding five rushes for 59 yards.

Per the NFL, Murray became the second player in league history with 250+ passing yards, 50+ rushing yards and a 158.3 passer rating - the highest attainable mark - in a single game.

“We had a great week of practice,” Murray said postgame. “Everybody came out here ready to go and prepared. We just executed, that’s all we did, we executed. Fully expected to come out here and have a great day, and the guys did that man. 

“If they want to do what they did today, we made them pay.”

Mayfield and Murray turned in two of the best quarterback performances of the week across the NFL. The former Sooners are off to a hot start and both the Cardinals and the Bucs are in a position to turn some heads this season.

Oklahoma quarterbacks are 2-for-2 on stealing the show this weekend. Now all eyes turn to Jalen Hurts for a Monday night showdown.

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Ross Lovelace

ROSS LOVELACE

Experience Ross is a young, up-and-coming sports reporter who has covered the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Oklahoma Sooners over the past six years. He's made guest appearances on various radio stations and has helped out with the All Sooners podcast whenever he gets the chance. Ross enjoys public speaking and has done so at multiple churches and high schools across the OKC metro area. In addition to writing, Ross has been the Play-by-Play announcer for Crossings’ basketball and football programs since 2020. In high school, Ross worked for self-starter blogs and latched onto Thunder Digest, where he discovered his passion for writing. From there, he worked for the OU Daily as a women's basketball reporter and was hired by All Sooners. Ross landed an internship with Sports Illustrated's Inside the Thunder and has since become a full-time contributor. One day, Ross hopes to work in the NBA. Work History Education Ross holds a bachelor's degree in Public Relations and a minor in Communication from the University of Oklahoma. Personal Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Ross played basketball and wrote for his own Thunder blog at Crossings High School in OKC, OK. He enjoys reading, New York Jets football and a week at the beach. Ross is engaged to be married at the end of the year. His Twitter handle is @Rosslovelace.

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