TEMPE, Arizona (AP) – Arizona Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury will return to his home state of Texas on Monday for a major football game, but he doesn’t know if his Southern sled will also make an appearance.
“It’s regularly after some Coors Lights, so I’m not sure if it’s going to explode on this trip,” Kingsbury said with an ironic smile.
The Cardinals will face the Dallas Cowboys for “Monday Night Football” in a game full of stories. Arizona (3-2) is one of the emerging groups in the NFL and is looking to remain competitive in the tough NFC West.
The Cowboys (2-3) seek to regain a support point with quarterback Andy Dalton making his first exit in the position of injured star Dak Prescott.
It will also be a boast for some of the bigger ones the Texas football scene has produced over the years. Kingsbury and Cardinals Quarterback Kyler Murray will make their first NFL appearances in their home state.
Kingsbury, 41, a prominent prep player in the past 1990s at one of the best schools north of San Antonio and then played and trained at Texas Tech. He is also the offensive coordinator of Texas A
The two men have separated from their delight in Texas and speak in praise of the state football scene, even though their playing careers were separated by two decades. Both say it’s an emotion to move from home despite the COVID-19 restrictions that mean the crowd may not be as complete or noisy as usual.
“He’s probably more worried than I am,” Murray said of Kingsbury, before making fun of his age. “I’ve never noticed his film or his best school tape. I heard it on the news last night. I heard it in old genuine grainy clips. “. “
Murray has temporarily become an NFL productive quarterback less than two years after being selected with the top pick in the 2019 draft. He has thrived in the wonderful moments of his career and has fond memories at THE AT Stadium.
Monday will be another great moment. Growing up in a crazy football guy in Texas, he’s used to them.
“Since I’ve been a kid, peewee, the whole box is surrounded every time we play games and stuff like that,” Murray said. The boys in the box and each and every one of them are looking at our team.
One of the reasons Kingsbury was so excited to catch Murray in 2019 was his wisdom of his delight in Texas and how he thrived in environments of tension. Coach said Murray was already attracting enthusiastic reviews in his first year of best school and was up to the hype, especially the big moments at AT Stadium.
“He loves this stadium and has had a lot of fortune there,” Kingsbury said. “That’s what’s worked hard all your life, live moments like this, and I know you’re excited to stop by and see to do your best. “
The Cowboys also have a lot of skill cultivated in Texas. Dalton, who played in Cincinnati for nine seasons before arriving in Dallas, is a Houston-area local who played at school a few miles from AT Stadium
Kingsbury doesn’t expect the Dallas offensive to be any less complicated to prevent with Dalton downtown.
“A Pro Bowl-caliber player, we faced him last year when he was in Cincinnati, he had an amazing game and they gave him wonderful weapons,” Kingsbury said. “He’s been a wonderful player in this league for a long time. and it will be a huge challenge to check it out to stop this attack. “
It will also be the beginning of the “MNF” for cowboys rookie catcher CeeDee Lamb, who played football at the best schools in Richmond, Texas, before joining Murray in Oklahoma.
Lamb put in 29 passes for 433 yards and two touchdowns in his first five NFL games. Murray said Lamb was “natural” and is not surprised that he was so successful early in his career.
“We were very lucky together, many smart moments,” Murray said. ” He’s my boy on and off the field. I wish him all the best, but this weekend he’s on the other side. “
Lamb said mutual feeling.
“I mean, he’s my brother at the end of the day, ” said Lamb. “We went to school together. We had fond memories and lived our dream that we are living now. Someone has to faint with an “L I don’t expect it to be us. “
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AP Pro Football Schuyler Dixon contributed to this story.
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