Cards’ Hopkins takes blame for Murray’s INT
Kyler Murray had one interception Sunday, caught by Washington safety Landon Collins. Two days later, wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins caught the blame. Or, perhaps more accurately, he requested it.
“I think the interception that he threw last week was definitely my fault,” Hopkins said Tuesday. “I ran the wrong route, so the safety wouldn’t have been there if it wasn’t for me running the wrong route.”
In his short time with the Cardinals, Hopkins has been quick to spread the love and shoulder the blame. But Tuesday’s confession may have come from some additional prodding.
“Yeah, I told him to tell y’all that. Because he did run the wrong route,” Murray said Wednesday. “But it’s all good.”
Murray smiled throughout as he said it. In talking about the missed connection on the play, he revealed a deeper connection outside of it. While Murray and Hopkins still have some things to fine-tune, they know that they have plenty of time to do so.
“That’s something that we both have to be on the same page about,” Murray said on the play. “Obviously frustrating at the time, but looking back on it, it’s an area where, this is Week 2. We haven’t had a lot of time together. We just got to be better and we will be better.”
Hopkins also says that he “definitely (has) to get better,” but better is relative for a team that is 2-0 and for a pair that has connected 22 times in two games. That was good for a league record — most catches in first two games with a team — and is also the most receptions by anyone in the NFL so far this season.
Murray and Hopkins are both dynamic players on their own. The real question was how quickly this pair could be productive without an offseason together.
Hopkins said ahead of training camp that he didn’t just want to be a reliable target for Murray; He wanted them to be best friends. Whether or not Murray truly told him to pick up the blame, Hopkins’ comfort in doing so candidly can help build trust. Coach Kliff Kingsbury sees it that way.
“I think first off, as a former quarterback, you definitely appreciate (Hopkins) owning that,” Kingsbury said Wednesday. “It shows his security as a player and what he’s about.”
But Kingsbury in turn acknowledged another factor on the interception.
“Honestly, it was more of just a miscommunication than the wrong route, which is going to happen as we build that bond with him and we continue to work through our signals and things of that nature,” Kingsbury said.
Before camp started, Hopkins said that he set his phone background to plays so he could soak them in throughout the day, as he quickly learned the playbook. He’s found his fellow receivers, coach David Raih, and both Kingsbury and Murray to all be instrumental in catching him up to speed.
To cement that learning, as of last week, he’s still utilizing the phone-background technique.
“I feel very confident in this offense, especially the way I prepare, the way they coach things,” Hopkins said last week. “It’s not the simplest offense, but if you put your mind to it, and your mindset that you’re going to master it, then you’re going to get it done. ...
“I would say that I still definitely have some of the plays as my screensaver, just so it’s like writing a sentence down. But I’m new in this offense, and Kyler does a great job of making sure I have the routes and making sure I know what I’m doing.”
Injury updates
WR Christian Kirk (groin) and DL Jordan Phillips (ankle) were both new additions to the injury report Wednesday, as neither practiced.
“Christian is (doing OK),” Kingsbury said Sunday after the game. “He had a little tightness there throughout the game, but as always, he continued to push through. He’s a tough young man and a heck of a player. He had a tremendous catch on the sideline.”
CB Byron Murphy Jr. (shoulder) was limited, a S Budda Baker was listed with a thumb injury, but a full participant in practice.
“Mason (Cole) will get out there today, move him around a little bit and see where he’s at,” Kingsbury said Wednesday ahead of practice. “And then Jalen (Thompson) still has a little ways to go.”
Thompson was placed on the injured reserve last Thursday, but new rules this season allow players to return after missing only three games,
For Detroit, CB Desmond Trufant (hamstring) did not practice Wednesday, and TE Hunter Bryant (hamstring), WR Kenny Golladay (hanstring), T Halapoutlivaati Vaitai (foot) and DT Nick Williams (shoulder) were all limited.
Brown is back
The Cardinals have added a familiar face back on the team. They signed wide receiver Jaron Brown to the practice squad on Wednesday. Brown, 30, previously played five years (2013-17) with the team after entering the league as an undrafted rookie free agent out of Clemson.
In that stint, he appeared in 71games, with 86 receptions for 1,177 yards and nine touchdowns. Brown played the last two seasons with Seattle, before spending training camp with the 49ers. In 2019, he had 16 receptions for 220 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games for the Seahawks.