DT Roy Lopez says Texans have to ‘rush smart’ against Cardinals QB Kyler Murray

The Houston Texans are dealing with another dangerous, mobile quarterback in Week 7 when they take on Kyler Murray and the Arizona Cardinals Sunday at State Farm Stadium.

Murray has the ability to torch defenses with his arm and frustrate them with his legs. The former 2019 first-round pick has 14 passing touchdowns and three rushing touchdowns. His 3.1 yards per carry is a little over a third of his 8.9 yards per attempt.

Rookie defensive tackle Roy Lopez knows that in order to get to Murray, the Texans will have to use discernment; they can’t simply beat their man and go on a direct line at the pocket.

“We got to rush smart,” said Lopez. “We got to that in mind when we come free that he’s going to keep the play alive. He’s not just going to go down. He’s not going to give us any freebies and let us celebrate. He has the same mindset of every down is a new down. He’s going to come up on second-and-8 and he’s going to look at it and he’s going to try to score.”

The sixth-round pick from Arizona knows that Murray will look to use all of his assets physically and mentally to extend plays.

Said Lopez: “He tries to get out. He’s elusive. He’s smart, he’s a smart football player. We’re just going to get after him, but at the same time do it with a smart mindset. Keep in mind that he looks to extend plays and keep his team in good positions.”

The Cardinals are 6-0 on the season and look to go to 7-0 for the first time since 1974 when they were in St. Louis. For the Texans, a win would prevent them from starting the season 1-6 for the second straight year.