This will be a bit more longwinded than
@Aerolithe_Lion good post. I played fantasy football last year and picked up Hopkins mid-season for my team. I watched every game involving players on my fantasy roster, so I had an opportunity to see Hopkins perform last season.
The Cardinals' 2022 season began with DeAndre Hopkins suspended. Suspensions do not gauge player's ability.
17 - 6 (suspended) = 11 games to analyze Hopkins' last season stats.
Cardinals Announce Major DeAndre Hopkins Update Ahead of Falcons Game
By Daniel Chavkin | Sports Illustrated
December 31, 2022
The Cardinals announced that DeAndre Hopkins will miss Sunday’s game vs. the Falcons with a knee injury... Hopkins practiced for most of the week, but left Friday’s practice with the injury.
Read more
________________________
Sometimes players get hurt in practice. It happens. Sometimes players pass physicals and get signed to 2-year, 26 million dollar contracts. It happens.
The Cardinals' 2022 season ended with DeAndre Hopkins injured. An injury can keep a player off the field but cannot be held against the player unless it proves detrimental to their level of play. Everyone will see in 2023 if Hopkins' 2022 knee injury actually matters this season.
11 - 2 (injured) = 9 games to analyze Hopkins' last season stats.
A moment for a quote:
Bill Belichick Loves Him Some D-Hop, And That Means A Lot
By Darren Urban | arcardinals.com
December 8, 2022
"He's got tremendous ball skills, he catches everything, great hands. He's never covered — even if he's covered, there's a place the ball can be that he can get it, still make the catch. Great coordination on the sidelines, and he doesn't really look it but he's a strong kid. You see him break tackles, he's strong creating separation, yards after contact, extra yards around the goal line or the extra yard for a first down. He's a smart football player, very savvy. His ball skills are at the very elite level with guys I've seen in this league.
He's up there with whoever the top guys are. Cris Carters of the world and guys like that. He's every bit as good as anybody I've ever coached against."
Read more
________________________
Back to the stats eval, starting with his most pitiful receiving performance last season. Oh. Wait. Got another article.
Arizona Cardinals WR Greg Dortch shines in Week 16 loss
By Christian Odjakjiandec | NFL.com
December 26, 2022
Wide receiver Greg Dortch caught a career high 10 catches on 11 targets in the loss, which he turned into 98 receiving yards... With starting quarterback Kyler Murray out for the season and backup Colt McCoy dealing with a concussion, 27-year-old Trace McSorley was left to lead the Cardinals. McSorley struggled to connect with star receiver DeAndre Hopkins (1 reception for 4 yards on 10 targets) but found plenty of success when targeting Dortch. Read more
________________________
I invite ANYONE to watch the Cardinals/Buccaneers replay. That bleepity-bleep bleep THIRD string quarterback could not either locate or FIT a pass into coverage for Hopkins. All game. And watch the coverages for Dortch as well. Watch the entire game.
9 - 1 (read above) = 8 games to analyze Hopkins' last season stats.
Backup quarterback Colt McCoy was better but not by much over McSorley. At least McCoy could get the ball to his #1 receiver. In the four games McCoy subbed for Kyler Murray... oh. Wait. Another article.
Cardinals QB Kyler Murray on ACL injury: 'The job doesn't stop. And I'm not going to stop.'
By Kevin Patra | NFL.com
June 12, 2023
Kyler Murray's tumultuous 2022 campaign ended in gruesome fashion, with the Arizona Cardinals quarterback suffering an ACL tear on Dec. 12 ...Murray and the Cards struggled through the early part of the season, getting off to a 3-6 start with Murray having just two games above the 280-yard passing mark. Then injuries began to strike, first with a hamstring issue that forced him out two games, then the season-ending ACL tear. Read more
________________________
There is relevance when it is apparent (for those who watched Cardinals games) that Arizona's offense sputtered during Hopkins' suspension. Then Murray's on-the-field connection with Hopkins was slightly affected by the lingering hamstring issue and died after the ACL injury.
Back to Hopkins/McCoy. Hopkins accounted for 41%, 33%, 31% and 35% of McCoy's passing yards in four games. Dortch did eclipse Hopkins' 91-receiving yards performance against the 49ers by 12 more yards. McCoy can be commended for being able to capitalize with his #1 receiver and Dortch despite in a losing effort.
8 - (read above) 4 = 4 remaining games to analyze Hopkins' last season stats.
In three of those four games, Hopkins/Murray was accounted for 50%, 49%, and 46% of passing/receiving yards. Fans and viewers could see for themselves what Hopkins' injection into the offense meant for Arizona. That final combo game was below the previous performance efforts for Hopkins. He accounted for only 21% of the receiving load but it was obvious after the first drive and Murray-to-Hopkins touchdown pass that the Seahawks' defense would not allow any more big plays. Their safeties played way back the majority of the game forward.
Statistics are good for conversation. Statistics plus context makes conversation better. Or at least it should. I am absolutely certain a legendary defensive Hall of Fame caliber head coach agrees.
