TEMPE, Ariz. — The numbers do not lie, however they won’t at all times inform your entire story both.

Take huge receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who returns Thursday evening from a six-game suspension for violating the NFL’s performance-enhancing drug coverage when the Arizona Cardinals tackle the New Orleans Saints (8:15 p.m. ET, Prime Video). He didn’t attain 100 yards in any of the ten video games he performed final season, which was uncommon for a receiver with 37 profession video games in triple-digit yards.

Which means Hopkins didn’t attain 100 yards in any sport throughout the Cardinals’ scorching 7-0 begin final season, which was stunning, contemplating he was Arizona’s No. 1 receiving choice.

“Lots of people have a look at it as a down 12 months for somebody like myself,” Hopkins mentioned. “However, I have a look at that as a productive 12 months as a result of I received a number of guys open.”

Simply making defenses account for Hopkins was a consider Arizona’s regular-season success in 2021.

The Cardinals hope his presence makes a distinction Thursday evening, when he takes the sphere for the primary time since Dec. 13, 2021 after he suffered an MCL harm that compelled him to overlook the remainder of the season. The Cardinals badly want a spark for an offense that’s been ineffective and downright irritating to those that function in it.

It is a tall order for somebody who won’t have performed in 311 days. For as a lot because the Cardinals welcomed Hopkins again with open arms this week, they’ve additionally been life like: Hopkins cannot clear up the entire Cardinals’ issues on offense himself.

“We’ve nonetheless received issues we’ve received to be higher at,” quarterback Kyler Murray mentioned. “We’ve nonetheless received issues we have to repair. Clearly, having [Hopkins] again positively helps, however we’ve nonetheless received to be higher in all of the areas that we’re not good in proper now.”

Hopkins is returning to an offense in determined want of CPR.

The Cardinals have scored simply three factors within the first quarter all season. The offense ranks close to the underside of the league in:

• yards per cross try (thirty second)

• yards per play (thirty first)

• third-down conversion share (twenty eighth)

• offensive factors per sport (twenty seventh)

• level margin per sport (twenty eighth)

• offensive effectivity (twenty sixth)

• touchdowns per try (thirtieth)

It’s all contributed to Arizona’s 2-4 begin.

Coach Kliff Kingsbury doesn’t place any of the blame for Arizona’s offensive woes on Hopkins’ absence.

“I believe you’ll be able to watch how we’re taking part in offensively and see there’s extra to it than that,” Kingsbury mentioned. “However he positively brings a dynamic that any workforce would need to have. When you may have a real No. 1 like that, a playmaker that defenses have to concentrate on each snap, it makes a distinction in scheme and playcalling — issues of that nature.

“We’ve got extra points than that we’ve received to right and we will’t simply count on him to be the savior. We’re all excited to have him — what he brings, the competitor he’s and all these issues, however we’ve received quite a bit we’ve received to get higher at.”

Having Hopkins again can and can undoubtedly assist.

For starters, they’ve gained extra with Hopkins on the sphere. They’re 8-2 for the reason that begin of 2021 with Hopkins and 3-8 with out him, together with a 1-4 end final season that featured a blowout loss to the Los Angeles Rams within the NFC wild-card sport.

Because the begin of final season, the Cardinals have averaged 12 extra factors per sport with Hopkins within the lineup, scoring 29.5 factors per sport with Hopkins in contrast with 17.2 with out him. However the variations don’t cease there. Arizona is ranked twenty third within the NFL with 556 receiving yards exterior the numbers this season, in comparison with Hopkins rating seventh by himself from 2020-21. The Cardinals’ receivers have a 29% catch price on tight-window throws. Hopkins, alone, has a 40.5% catch price on such throws since 2020.

“He is gonna be an enormous assist,” former Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald mentioned. “They want him, they want his presences, they want his management by way of his playmaking skill.”

Perhaps most significantly to the Cardinals turning this season round, Murray has been higher with Hopkins within the lineup.

Murray’s QBR was 45 with out Hopkins throughout the previous two seasons and 69 with him.

Amongst quarterbacks who’ve thrown at the very least 50 passes, Murray is ranked final within the NFL in air yards per completion (4.0). He averaged 5.9 final season.

“I’m excited to have the ability to throw him the ball once more,” Murray mentioned. “I by no means took that as a right, however I’m simply completely happy for him. The workforce is unquestionably appreciative of getting him again.”

Nobody could also be extra appreciative than Murray and Hopkins’ fellow receivers.

“He can open up quite a bit,” huge receiver A.J. Inexperienced mentioned. “Retains the protection sincere as a result of if [No.] 10’s over there by himself, the ball goes to him, so he’s simply getting doubled. So, it’s gonna be a number of guys getting one-on-ones.”

Hopkins will ease the stress and protection off his fellow receivers from the primary snap Thursday evening. All season, receiver Marquise Brown had been the main focus of defenses’ consideration. He was a marked man, getting each workforce’s No. 1 cornerback similar to Philadelphia’s Darius Slay, the Los Angeles Rams’ Jalen Ramsey and Seattle’s Tariq Woolen. Though Brown can’t profit from Hopkins’ return in the interim as a result of a foot harm has sidelined him indefinitely, everybody else within the receiving room can.

Serving to Hopkins within the wake of Brown’s foot harm that may maintain him out at the very least a month, would be the addition of Robbie Anderson, who the Cardinals traded for Monday. If he performs Thursday, Anderson will probably take over Brown’s function.

Anderson is a bit larger than Brown – he’s six inches taller and 20 kilos heavier – however the two have related prime speeds. And Anderson could be a big-play risk for the Cardinals, who’re desperately in want of some.

Fitzgerald thinks defenses must present their palms earlier with Hopkins on the sphere, that shells can be extra pronounced, that they’re going to attempt to roll excessive of him with varied schemes, whether or not it’s two shell, quarters or palms.

The vibe across the Cardinals has been totally different since Hopkins returned.

Kingsbury has seen that gamers stepping up their sport when Hopkins is on the sphere, a byproduct of the kind of expectations that Hopkins holds himself too, the coach defined.

“He is gonna make it simpler for everyone else on the sphere,” Fitzgerald mentioned. “He’ll make it simpler for A.J., he’ll make it simpler for Rondale [Moore], he’ll make it simpler for Zach [Ertz]. He’ll make it simpler for the run sport simply because there’s gonna be a lot consideration centered on him simply based mostly on what he is completed his total profession. So, I imply, he is gonna make the reads simpler for Kyler.

“Kyler can get into good checks. I believe dashing the sport up by way of no-huddle, particularly in opposition to a quick blitzing protection like New Orleans, is one thing that they’ll use at their benefit.”

Hopkins believes his opponents are extra nervous to face him than he’s to line up throughout from them.

“I’m capable of create mismatches on the sphere,” Hopkins mentioned. “I believe my presence on the market dictates that, and I believe final 12 months was an important instance of that.”

Hopkins has lined up huge left on 83.1 p.c of his snaps for the Cardinals. Kingsbury mentioned he plans on shifting Hopkins round which is able to give Arizona a definite benefit on Thursday evening, Fitzgerald mentioned. The Saints gained’t have tape of how the Cardinals will use him this week. Positive, they’ll know what his tendencies are from tape of years previous, however Arizona’s strategic benefit will help be the distinction.

Hopkins, ever the optimist, “completely” believes the Cardinals can change their offensive fortunes in a single sport.

“Clearly, one particular person can’t go on the market and win a sport,” Hopkins mentioned. “Nevertheless it does assist having somebody like myself on the market, who can dictate quite a bit and dictate how defenses play us.”

Fitzgerald disagrees.

One participant can change a workforce’s destiny, he mentioned. And for the Cardinals, that’s Hopkins.

“You see it extra with a quarterback, you see it extra with a man who touches the ball each single snap like that,” Fitzgerald mentioned. “You get a man again who’s been out and is ready to provoke his workforce and actually encourage and encourage folks as a result of he is again and DeAndre’s one of many few talent guys within the league that I believe he has that skill …

“There’s not many guys that might try this.”