Rams try to delay future as they face Kyler Murray’s nimble feet Monday night – Orange County Register

Three years ago, Philip Rivers told someone to take his Pepsi. He was on the dance floor at a playoff game in Baltimore.

Rivers, whose legs are his least functional collection of cells, somehow slid down his path to hit 9 yards in the third and eighth rounds. When the Chargers rushed in and when San Diego blinked, Rivers stood there for a second and then gave the first down sign, the way real athletes do, dozens of times over an NFL weekend. It’s much rarer than a home field pitcher. More fun.

Rivers is now retired, followed by several quarterbacks like him. Where he is just the future.

On Monday night, the Rams will face Matthew Stafford there to face the Cardinals in a knockout, and Arizona will take on Kyler Murray.

On some days, Stafford was a better quarterback than Murray. But there are more Murrays on the road than Staffords.

A purposeful running quarterback is the most exciting, and possibly the most ironic, part of what the NFL has become.

Stafford has dashed 377 times with 1,241 yards in 13 years on duty in the NFL. In Murray’s three years, his feet covered 1,786 yards, at a rate of 5.7 per bounce, and scored 20 touchdowns.

Of the top 11 rushing QBs in league history, 4 are still playing: Cam Newton (2nd), Russell Wilson (4th), Lamar Jackson (7th) and Aaron Rodgers (11th).

The yard lead was Michael Vick, who led the league in yards per take and had 6,109 yards, but Randall Cunningham was third with 4,928 yards. He was one of the first to not run away from anything. Philadelphia coach Buddy Ryan broke him by using him in the third down. A tournament-wide light was on.

Steve Young made 43 touchdowns and 4,239 yards in 15 touches and proved you can be a Super that way.

Contrast it with Rivers (601 yards), Dan Fouts (476), Tom Brady (1,124), Dan Marino (87), Brett Favre (1,844), John Unitas (1,777), Phil Simms (1,252) and Len Dawson ( 1.293) .

There have been pioneers. Tobin Rote wins NFL and AFL championship – with the Lions and Chargers, no less – and played in the Gray Cup final, and remains 12th on the rush list. He had a 100-yard dash and ran 11 TDs in 1956.

Chicago’s Bobby Douglas throw left javelin punctured the receiver in practice, and in 91 NFL games, he played 36 TDs with 64 interceptions and went through 16-36-1 at the start. But he also stomped on the spot with 2,654 yards of fast dash, multiple call-ins, and remains 15th on the list.

Nowadays, almost everyone can run. Some run when they have to, like Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes, Justin Herbert and Joe Burrow. Some run when they want to, like Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Jalen Hurts.

But when they’re active, there’s no fainting spells at the executive levels, even though these quarterbacks are as expensive and valuable as ever. The reward was greater than their risk.

Most have proven that walkers can run and runners can pass. This threat is important because it forces the defense into the play area, so DBs can keep an eye on the midfielders instead of turning their backs on the attack. But when they made the play area, it made it easier to complete, that’s why the pass completion rate skyrocketed.