Any offensive issues should go away when the Arizona Cardinals have both DeAndre Hopkins and Marquise Brown at their disposal
Not all fans of the Arizona Cardinals were on board back in April when general manager Steve Keim orchestrated a trade for wide receiver Marquise Brown. A first-round draft pick seemed to be a steep price to pay for a player who had eclipsed the 1,000 yards-receiving mark just once since he entered the league with the Baltimore Ravens back in 2019.
Any doubts about Brown were put to rest during Arizona’s 20-12 loss to the Los Angeles Rams this past Sunday. “Hollywood” was targeted 17 times, and was credited with an outstanding 14 receptions for 140 yards. Brown was acquired to act as a number-one wideout for the Cards during DeAndre Hopkins’ absence, and he certainly excelled in that role against the Rams.
The thought of Brown and Hopkins out on the playing field together is enough to get even the most pessimistic of Cardinals followers excited. Will opposing defenses succeed in putting the clamps on such an explosive combination of pass-catchers?
The Arizona Cardinals will be without DeAndre Hopkins for just 3 more games
Arizona’s inconsistent offensive unit will be without Hopkins for just three more games. The suspension that cost the five-time Pro Bowler the first six matchups of the current campaign has taken a toll on the squad’s passing game. Quarterback Kyler Murray threw for 314 yards this past weekend, but the Cards were ultimately kept out of the end zone by the Los Angeles defense.
Brown has been one of the few bright spots for the Redbirds over the first three weeks. The 25-year old caught just four passes for 43 yards during an opening-day defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs, but did manage to record his first touchdown with his new team in the fourth quarter.
He tallied six receptions for 68 yards during a week 2 win over the Las Vegas Raiders. Brown also made a clutch fourth-down catch that should’ve been ruled a score with just 8:40 to play in regulation.
We are all aware of what Hopkins is capable of as well. Any issues that the offense is currently experiencing could be non-existent when the dynamic receiving duo is unleashed in week 7. That October 20th date with the New Orleans Saints can not come soon enough for a struggling Cardinals scoring attack.
(Statistics provided by Pro Football Reference)