The majority of quarterbacks in the NFL can be properly judged by their passing statistics, which usually give a good indication of their impact on a game.
Kyler Murray will not always be in that category.
The Cardinals' dual threat signal-caller had a pedestrian 87.1 passer rating in Sunday's 26-23 win over the Bengals but was one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL this week.
While Murray finished 20-of-32 passing for 253 yards without a touchdown or interception, he made a huge impact with his legs, rushing 10 times for 93 yards and a score.
ESPN has a pretty good formula to factor in rushing ability, among other facets of quarterback play, with its QBR metric. Murray was rated as the fourth-best quarterback in Week 5 (prior to Monday Night Football) with a total QBR of 77.8.
The formula accounts for quality of opponent, so even after getting docked for facing a poor defense, Murray shined. The total QBR score was the 29th-best performance in the NFL this year, and it raised Murray to No. 16 overall in leaguewide QBR.
While there have been growing pains early, it's impressive to think Murray has been in the top half of NFL quarterbacks through his first five career games.
