Arizona Cardinals: Can They Survive Without DeAndre Hopkins?

The Arizona Cardinals are one of only 4 teams in the NFL with 10 wins right now. Now that Kyler Murray is back from injury, they look to be firing on all cylinders again. The only problem is, late in last week’s game DeAndre Hopkins came down awkward and sustained a knee injury. Now he’ll be out for the remainder of the season just as the team is making their playoff push. Can the team survive without him?

Going into the game with the Los Angeles Rams, all Arizona had to do was come out of that game healthy. Ultimately the idea is to win in the NFL, but losing the game cost them nothing. Losing their star player could cost them tremendously down the stretch. Hopkins not only is the team’s top receiver, but he’s also one of the best in the NFL today. With him in it changes the dynamic of the Arizona Cardinals offense.

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Despite him being a household name in the NFL receivers circle, Hopkins isn’t even leading the Cardinals in yards this season. That honor currently goes to Christian Kirk, followed closely by AJ Green. DeAndre Hopkins comes in third on the list but is not slacking. He takes the majority of defenders’ focus, so it’s no surprise his teammates are benefiting. Where the Cardinals are going to miss their star receiver is in the red zone. Out of all receivers, he’s leading the teams in receiving touchdowns.

But not all is lost with DeAndre Hopkins out. The Cardinals pulled off a trade for Zach Ertz midseason and he’s not far behind in touchdowns. Running back James Connor is coming up big in the ground game so Arizona just has to switch up their focus when in scoring position.

If the Arizona Cardinals want to stay aggressive while dealing with injuries, they can still attack. They’ll just have to spread the field and let Kyler Murray draw the attention of the defense. Spread the wide receivers out, let him roll out and take defenders with him, and draw attention away from other weapons. Arizona has the talent to keep the offense moving despite the injuries and defensively they’re solid enough to keep them in games. There’s no reason the Cardinals can’t be contenders while Hopkins is out.