The Pittsburgh Steelers signed veteran cornerback Patrick Peterson during the offseason to help shore up a weak secondary and to provide a mentor for some of the younger players they seemed likely to draft. Peterson is in his 12th year in the NFL and began his career with the Arizona Cardinals who drafted him in the first round in 2011. Now Peterson is set to face off against his former team and some of his former teammates, including their quarterback, Kyler Murray. In speaking to the press before the Week 13 matchup, Peterson gave the fifth-year quarterback a lot of credit.
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Arizona Cardinals quarterback, Kyler Murray (#1) scrambles and attempts to make a move while carrying the football during a regular season football game.
Peterson and Murray spent two years together on the Cardinals, where Murray started as a rookie. Murray had an excellent start to his career. He finished his rookie season with 3,722 passing yards, 20 passing touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. He is known to be a quick, wily runner who also rushed for 544 yards and four additional touchdowns. He was named as a Pro Bowl alternate and won the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
When the press asked Peterson about seeing his old teammate, he praised his ability to create time for himself on the field, per ESPN's Brooke Pryor. Despite the Cardinals' 2-10 record, they cannot get complacent about Murray and his talents.
"It looks like he's starting to get back in his old ways... it looks like he's starting to get back into his groove. He definitely is a unique talent. There's no question about that. He does a great job of creating extra time for his receivers down the field. He does a really, really good job of avoiding those free blitzes," Peterson said.
Murray tore his ACL in December of 2022 and it had to be surgically repaired. He just recently returned to the game. He said that he is learning to trust his repaired knee. Of course, he is back to running away from defenders. Peterson has some advice on how he and his defensive teammates can slow him down.
"We have to do a really good job of standing our feet because he is a little guy, so you can't jump, you can't go [for] pump fakes. So we have to make sure that we stay grounded when we have an opportunity to sack him in the pocket. So he has a very, very good deep ball. We know that they love, they love to boot him and to run that snake post option. Kyler is one of a kind quarterback," added Peterson.
In the three games Murray has played in 2023, he has attempted 107 passes of which he completed 66 of them for 719 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. He has rushed another 14 times for 86 yards and three touchdowns.
Steelers' Patrick Peterson Has Been An Important Member Of The Defense
Peterson has been more helpful to the Steelers' defense than his stats belay. He has had 30 total tackles and one interception in black and gold. He even blocked an extra point attempt by the Green Bay Packers that helped solidify the Steelers' four-point win. During this season, he has gotten a lot of credit from Head Coach Mike Tomlin for serving as a mentor to rookie Joey Porter Jr.
Heinz Kluetmeier / Sports Illustrated
Steelers legendary linebacker, James Harrison (#92) returns an interception for a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals as time expires in the first half of Super Bowl XLIII.
This game, set for Acrisure Stadium, is another rematch of Super Bowl XLIII when the Steelers beat the Cardinals 27-23. Pittsburgh sits at 7-4 and in second place in the AFC North. The Steelers are riding a small wave of success coming off the firing of Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada. After the naming of Eddie Faulkner as interim offensive coordinator and Mike Sullivan as the play-caller, the Steelers beat their division rival Cincinnati Bengals.
Quarterback Kenny Pickett looked markedly better, in what was his best game of the season. The defense continued to do what it has done all season, keeping teams limited when trying to reach the end zone, but were able to do it again against the Bengals with longer rest periods thanks to the improved offense. Now they will face a unique challenge in Murray, a player they don't face often.
In fact, the Steelers have only played Murray once, in 2019 when he had 194 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions in their 23-17 loss to Pittsburgh. Now with help from Peterson, the Steelers' defense will have to contain Murray and not let this team that has nothing to lose but pride, turn this into a trap game.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. gets some tips from veteran Patrick Peterson during the 2023 training camp.
What do you think about the Steelers' chances against Murray and the Cardinals, as well as Peterson's remarks? Click to comment below!
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