Maxx Williams shows the Cardinals what a tight end can do

The veteran’s performance this past Sunday showed the Arizona Cardinals what a productive tight end can do for an offense.

Throughout the 2021 offseason, fans of the Arizona Cardinals expressed concern about the squad’s lack of talent at the tight end spot.

General manager Steve Keim basically did nothing to address the situation, and the Cards entered the season with the underwhelming Maxx Williams as the starter at the position. The seventh-year veteran hauled in a measly eight passes for the team in 2020, unimpressive statistics for a tight end who sits at the top of the Arizona depth chart.

This past Sunday, Williams almost matched last year’s total number of catches in just one outing. The 6-foot-4, 252-pounder set career highs in both receptions (7) and receiving yards (94) during the Cardinals’ 34-33 victory over the Minnesota Vikings. Can Williams continue to produce and prove all of the doubters wrong in the coming weeks and months of the NFL campaign?

Arizona Cardinals may have a talented tight end on the current roster after all

Early in the second quarter of this past weekend’s matchup, the Cards found themselves trailing Minnesota by a score of 20-7. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury‘s group was in desperate need of a kickstart, and Williams was more than happy to provide it for his sleepwalking teammates.

Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray unleashed a pass that clanged off of the hands of not one, but two of the Vikings defenders. The deflected football somehow made it into the waiting arms of a streaking Williams, and 34 yards later, the Cardinals had a badly-needed first down at the Minnesota 41-yard line. Kingsbury gave the 27-year-old Williams all of the credit for the jumpstart during his press conference following the win.

"“Really that deflection got us going. We were real stagnant offensively. That got us going and I think woke us up a little bit, so that was a huge play in the game.”"

Seven plays after the fantastic effort by Williams, the Cards got to within six points (20-14) after a 12-yard touchdown scamper by Murray. Five minutes into the third quarter, a 25-yard strike from Murray to Williams set “Big Red” up at the Vikings’ nine-yard line. On the very next play, wideout A.J. Green‘s first score of the year gave the Cardinals a 31-30 advantage.

Arizona’s starting tight end showed what he is capable of during the club’s week-two triumph. It remains to be seen if Kingsbury will continue to include Williams in the offensive game plans going forward.