DeAndre Hopkins’ return after Week 6 ‘will be shot in the arm’ for Cardinals

TEMPE — The narrative surrounding head coach Kliff Kingsbury and the Arizona Cardinals after final season largely centered on the group’s lack of ability to complete off one more season sturdy.

By now, we’ve all seen the pattern. Since 2013, Kingsbury sports activities a 42-20-1 document in Video games 1-7. The opposite half of the season? A 17-45 mark from Recreation 8 on.

The top coach acknowledged his half within the skid all through the offseason, saying he wanted to get extra guys concerned offensively and dial up completely different gameplans with huge receiver DeAndre Hopkins sidelined for many of the second half of the yr.

In contrast to seasons previous, nevertheless, Kingsbury not solely has to cope with righting the second-half-of-the-season ship, he’s bought to get via the primary six video games of the season with out Hopkins as a result of a performance-enhancing drug suspension.

All of the speak should now translate to on the sector for Kingsbury.

However as a substitute of wanting on the glass half empty, the pinnacle coach is remaining optimistic.

“(Received to study from that), clearly,” Kingsbury stated following the primary day of rookie minicamp on Friday. “The addition of Marquise (Brown) will assist, he’s a dynamic playmaker and we simply must play higher as an offense.

“It’s unlucky that he gained’t be obtainable however I’m excited for once we get him again. We’ve struggled within the second half of the season and once we get him again I believe it will likely be an actual shot within the arm for that back-half and I do know we’ll get his finest.”

Regardless of the group going out and buying Brown in a draft-day commerce with the Baltimore Ravens, changing Hopkins shall be a troublesome job.

He solely performed in 10 video games final season, but nonetheless paced the Cardinals with eight receiving touchdowns.

And when he was off the sector, the offense took a noticeable dip in manufacturing.

With groups not having to maintain an additional eye out for Hopkins on the common, the offense sputtered with A.J. Inexperienced, Christian Kirk, Antoine Wesley and Rondale Moore as Arizona’s prime wide-receiving threats.

Now it’ll be on Brown and quarterback Kyler Murray to reconnect to their Oklahoma days and make up for Hopkins’ absence over what will be a troublesome begin to the season, starting with the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs in Week 1.

“We’re going to see the place he matches, initially,” Kingsbury stated. “We like what we’ve in A.J. coming again, Rondale, Zach Ertz, now Hollywood. Now we simply bought to determine the place he matches finest.

“That kind of pace, whether or not it’s inside, outdoors … it’s harmful. He was behind folks a bunch final yr and we bought to seek out methods to maximise him.”

EXTRA POINT

– Kingsbury on if the group knew about Hopkins’ suspension earlier than buying and selling for Brown:

“That’s extra of a Steve (Keim) query. He’s actually good at his job.”

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