Kyler Murray Insists He's Not Avoiding Shouldering Load on Ground

It has been a rough few weeks for Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals. After a surprising 6-3 start, they've lost three straight.

In the first of those defeats, to the Seattle Seahawks, Murray sprained the AC joint in his throwing shoulder, but he insists that's not why he has been running less often lately.

“My shoulder is fine,” Murray told the media. “As far as running the ball goes, it’s pretty obvious if you watch the game. If they (opposing defenses) make me hand the ball off, I have no choice but to hand the ball off."

That may be true, but the Cardinals went 3-1 during a stretch when Murray carried the ball at least 10 times. In the process, he compiled 308 yards and five touchdowns on the ground.

Since then, Murray has rushed just 15 times -- and scored zero rushing touchdowns. It's obviously a sore subject because he basically snapped when someone brought up those stats.

“I don’t know what you want me to do. You want me to pull it and run into a defensive?" Murray asked. "Like, I don’t know. They’re making me hand the ball, so that’s what I have to do.”

Murray and the Cardinals will get another chance to get back on track with a visit to the New York Giants on Sunday. A loss wouldn't mathematically eliminate the Cardinals, but it sure would make the playoffs suddenly feel like a pipe dream. That's a possibility from which Murray would undoubtedly like to run.