NFC Notes: Kyler Murray, Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks

Cardinals

Cardinals QB Kyler Murray said he tries to play without any concern about his ankle and thinks he’s in a “good headspace.” 

“All this stuff plays with your head until you get back on the field,” Murray said, via Darren Urban of the team’s official site. “It can eat at you. But I am over it at this point. I’m in a good headspace.”

Cardinals HC Kliff Kingsbury said they want to “ease” back Murray and DeAndre Hopkins (hamstring) from their injuries, and plans to observe both players on Thursday.

“We wanted to make sure they feel good and ease them back into the week,” Kingsbury said. “(Thursday) we’ll have pads on and hopefully they can do a little bit more.”

Kingsbury mentioned that they must “be smart” with Hopkins and try to “maximize” his time on the field. 

“We’ve just got to be smart with how we use him if he’s able to go,” Kingsbury said. “Maximize him the best we can and make sure we don’t wear him out.”

• Cardinals HC Kliff Kingsbury said Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins will be game-day decisions, adding that there is some “cat and mouse” regarding revealing information on injuries.   (Darren Urban)
• Hopkins said he will try to ramp up in pregame warmups for Week 13 but is confident he will play: “I’ll give it a go before the game. I know what I can do.” (Darren Urban)

Rams

• Per ESPN’s Lindsey Thiry, Rams HC Sean McVay expects RB Darrell Henderson, WR Odell Beckham Jr., and WR Ben Skowronek to play on Sunday. 
• According to Josina Anderson, Beckham’s hip injury is “a posterior hip pointer in his lower back near the sacroiliac.”
• Ian Rapoport reports that Rams WR Odell Beckham Jr. (hip) did not practice on Thursday and his status for Week 13 is now in question. Rapoport adds that Beckham’s injury is not considered a major issue. 
• Rams HC Sean McVay said he would be “surprised” if Beckham doesn’t play in Sunday’s game. (Jourdan Rodrigue)

Seahawks

There’s no shortage of issues plaguing the Seahawks’ offense right now. But one has been the complete inability to get a consistent run game going in the absence of Chris Carson, who will miss the rest of the season with a neck injury that ended up needing surgery. Alex Collins and DeeJay Dallas have underwhelmed, former first-rounder Rashaad Penny continues to be unable to stay healthy, and the team is so desperate it added Adrian Peterson to the practice squad this week. 

“I do think that when you have your lead-dog running back, it makes a difference,” Seahawks HC Pete Carroll said on KIRO-AM, via the Athletic’s Michael-Shawn Dugar. “It makes a difference in every aspect of the complementary part of the running game and the passing game. I don’t want to make a big excuse that Chris isn’t here, but Chris has been that guy for us, and we have always hoped that Rashaad Penny will come through and be that guy for us. We’ve had a one-two thought for a lot of years.”

“Go back to the image of what it was like back in the day when we were putting this program together and Marshawn was such a big part of it,” Carroll added. “It wasn’t all that he did, it was the fit of it all. And you know when that guy is there, you give him the ball because he’s that guy. That’s what Chris always has been. It seems to me we haven’t been able to get back into that groove where the play caller knows he’s got that guy we can keep pounding away, and sticking with it is the right thing to do.”

• Dugar notes Carson is still under contract for 2022 but even if Seattle brings him back, they need another back as insurance. He expects the Seahawks to spend significant draft or free agent capital on the position.