Arizona Cardinals

If a good offensive line is a quarterback's best friend, Kyler Murray is making sure his teammates know how much they are appreciated.

Per TMZ Sports, Murray gave each member of the Arizona Cardinals offensive line a new set of golf clubs from True Spec Golf as an early holiday present.

TMZ noted each set came with a custom golf bag and custom clubs that brought the total sale price to over $5,000 per person.

"The package was sweet—the bag featured every O-lineman's name and number and came complete with 13 total clubs—including a driver, woods, hybrids, irons and wedges," TMZ wrote.

This has become an annual tradition for Murray in his professional career. He gave the offensive line scooters in 2019 and personalized paintings in 2020.

Murray has been one of the most productive quarterbacks in the NFL this season when healthy, thanks in part to the performance of his offensive line.

Per ESPN, the Cardinals rank 11th overall in pass-block win rate through Week 15.

When Arizona's offense was operating at full strength early in the season, Murray completed 72.7 percent of his attempts through Week 8.

Things have gotten more difficult for the Cardinals of late as injuries have started to pile up, and Murray has been sacked six times in the past two games, both losses. 

Despite those recent struggles, the Cardinals still rank eighth in the NFL in scoring average (27.0 points per game). They are also still tied with the Los Angeles Rams for first place in the NFC West at 10-4.

Arizona Cardinals defensive end J.J. Watt was upbeat when discussing his recovery from the shoulder injury that has kept him out since October.

"It's going really well," Watt told Maanav's Sports Talk of his rehab (h/t Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official site). "It's going much better than we could've hoped or expected for it to go at this time. I'm feeling really good. I'm doing a lot of stuff to try and push it as hard as I can to smartly and safely get back as fast as I can."

Watt was placed on injured reserve after suffering a brutal injury in a Week 7 victory over the Houston Texans. According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the defensive end tore his labrum, his bicep and his rotator cuff while also dislocating his shoulder.

The 32-year-old had 16 tackles, one sack and one forced fumble in seven games, helping the Cardinals to a 7-0 start in his first season in the desert. The squad is just 3-4 since Watt went down.

The 11th-year veteran is hoping to work his way back to the field much quicker than doctors have projected.

"They tell me I'm done, I have to get surgery and it's going to take four-to-six months," Watt told Maanav Gupta. "I'm sitting there and I can easily pout and easily say: 'Woe is me, four-to-six months. I'll do what I have to do.' But instead I said, 'Nah, I'm not going to accept that.'"

Watt was one of the most dominant players in the NFL earlier in his career, winning the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2012, 2014 and 2015 as a member of the Texans.

Injuries have been the bigger story in recent seasons. He missed at least eight games in three of his last five years in Houston. He has shown impressive resolve in his rehab, working his way back from a torn pectoral muscle in 2019 in time to play in the postseason.

Watt is looking to make another dramatic recovery for the Cardinals as they seek their first playoff appearance since 2015.

The Arizona Cardinals once held a clear-cut edge over the entire NFL playoff field. They looked to be in cruise control, particularly when they got Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins back from injuries and moved to 10-2 following their Week 12 bye.

But a lot can change in about a fortnight in this league. Now, a Cards team that is again without Hopkins for an extended stretch has relinquished the top seed in the NFC following a home loss to the division-rival Los Angeles Rams and a downright shocking Week 15 defeat at the hands of the previously 1-11-1 Detroit Lions.

The Lions are scrappy, and they're better than their record. However, that doesn't change the fact Sunday's 30-12 loss was an utter dud for the Cardinals. Combined with that ugly performance in a prime-time home matchup with the Rams, we have enough to indict the Cardinals for football fraud.

Critical home-stretch football has clearly caused this inexperienced team to buckle. Losing Hopkins again didn't help, but that alone doesn't excuse consecutive horrendous performances from Murray. He and offensive-minded head coach Kliff Kingsbury must be capable of overcoming a loss like that, especially against a team like Detroit.

Arizona has scored two touchdowns on its last eight red-zone trips. Murray has just one passing touchdown, no rushing touchdowns and three interceptions in the last two games. He's also been sacked six times and has simply missed several makeable throws.

And this wasn't a squeaker. We're talking about Detroit's most lopsided win at Ford Field since 2017. The league's 26th-ranked running game in terms of DVOA (defense-adjusted value over average at Football Outsiders) was once again ineffective, as Murray—who may still be less than 100 percent healthy—was uncharacteristically shy about scrambling beyond the line of scrimmage.

Meanwhile, the defense has now surrendered 30-plus points twice in a row and three times in a five-game span. In this case, they made Jared Goff look like Patrick Mahomes while some guy named Craig Reynolds rushed for more than 100 yards.

There's not a single area in which they're playing good football at the moment.

And we shouldn't be surprised. Remember, this team was in great shape at 6-3 last season before losing five of their last seven games. They aren't trustworthy.

So honestly, forget about the Cardinals. They now have to finish up against the formidable Indianapolis Colts (who have one regulation loss since Week 3), the NFC East-leading Dallas Cowboys (who ranked third in team DVOA through 14 weeks) and the surging Seattle Seahawks (who could be particularly desperate in Week 18).

Arizona's recent struggles have paved the way for the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to surge to the top of the NFC. The Bucs sprinted to the Super Bowl on the road last January. Imagine Tom Brady and Co. with home-field advantage this time around? They have a perfect home record in 2021. Ditto for the Packers. Nobody wants to go to Lambeau Field to play Aaron Rodgers and Co. in the postseason.

That could have been avoided, or at least limited. Now, instead, the road to Super Bowl LVI in the NFC will almost certainly go through Tampa, Green Bay, or a combination of both cities.

The Buccaneers finish up with opponents who are a combined 13-29, the Packers with teams that are a combined 15-24-1. Green Bay has also already crushed the Lions team that crushed Arizona on Sunday, and they've taken down the Cards themselves.

It's a shame because these Cardinals have the talent to make a deep playoff run. But there's a minuscule margin for error with Brady and Rodgers, and Kingsbury's team wilted under the pressure. Now, it's easy to see the wheels coming off. And even if they avoid that fate, it might be too late to avoid a trip to Florida or Wisconsin en route to the Super Bowl.

In fact, the Cards might have to watch their backs in their own division. A Rams victory Tuesday night over Seattle will move that team into a tie with Arizona atop the NFC West, and their schedule to close the season is also more forgiving than Arizona's.

Classic Cardinals. From cruise control to a wild card in just a few weeks? It's a strong possibility now. And of course, as a result, we'll be left with the same old heavyweights fighting it out atop that conference.

Brad Gagnon has covered the NFL for Bleacher Report since 2012. Follow him on Twitter: @Brad_Gagnon.

The race for the NFC West is suddenly a lot more interesting after the Arizona Cardinals were stunned in a 30-12 loss to the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Sunday. 

Since starting the season 7-0, the Cardinals have dropped four of their last seven games. They could fall into a tie atop the division standings if the Los Angeles Rams beat the Seattle Seahawks on Tuesday. 

Notable Game Stats

• Kyler Murray, QB (AZ): 23-of-41, 257 yards, TD, INT; 4 carries, 3 yards
• Chase Edmonds, RB (AZ): 6 carries, 53 yards
  
• Christian Kirk, WR (AZ): 9 receptions, 94 yards, TD
• Jared Goff, QB (DET): 21-of-26, 216 yards, 3 TD
• Craig Reynolds, RB (DET): 26 carries, 112 yards; 1 reception, 5 yards
• Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR (DET): 8 receptions, 90 yards, TD
  

Nothing is going right for head coach Kliff Kingsbury's squad at the moment. Their offense had 74 total yards with three punts, one turnover on downs and a kneel down in five possessions in the first half. 

Kyler Murray had another interception today giving him six in his last five games played. 

The Cardinals did start to move the ball in the second half. Their first possession in the third quarter gained nearly as many yards (64) in the first half, but the Lions held them to a field goal. 

Arizona's defense, which entered today ranked fourth in points allowed per game (19.4), got dissected by Jared Goff. The Lions quarterback tied his season high with three touchdown passes. 

Even though the Cardinals offense found a spark in the second half, the unit was never entirely cohesive. 

Trailing 27-6 early in the fourth quarter, Murray found Antoine Wesley in front of the end zone on 4th-and-6 for what would have been a 30-yard touchdown, but Wesley only got one foot inbounds. 

After the defense forced a punt on Detroit's ensuing possession, Murray put together his best drive of the game to get the Cardinals into the end zone. He completed seven of 11 attempts for 75 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown to Christian Kirk. 

There was only 4:46 remaining in the fourth quarter at the time of that score. Kingsbury burned all three of his timeouts on the Lions' next possession, but a 13-yard pass interference penalty against Marco Wilson on 3rd-and-7 gave Detroit a first down. 

Riley Patterson capped off Detroit's drive with a 45-yard field goal to extend the lead to 30-12 with 2:46 left to play. Kingsbury waived the white flag at that point by inserting McCoy at quarterback to run out the clock. 

There was a question of what the Cardinals would look like on offense without DeAndre Hopkins. The star wideout is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season to have surgery on a sprained knee, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. 

Hopkins suffered the injury during Arizona's 30-23 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday. 

Kirk did have a season-high nine catches for 94 yards and a score. A.J. Green was targeted eight times but only managed 64 yards on four receptions. 

Arizona's offensive line isn't helping matters. Murray was hit four times and sacked twice in the loss. 

Things are only going to get tougher for the Cardinals offensive line with games against the Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys in the next two weeks. 

The Lions appear to have found something at running back with Craig Reynolds. The 25-year-old had a career-high 112 rushing yards on 26 carries on Sunday after racking up 83 yards on 11 carries last week against the Denver Broncos. 

Since going winless in the first 11 games, head coach Dan Campbell's team has now won two of their last three. There's still a lot of work to be done in this Lions rebuild, but he seems to have complete buy-in for the process from this roster.     

The Arizona Cardinals reportedly won't have wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins back in the lineup this season unless they reach the NFC Championship Game.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Hopkins "could be back" for the conference title game or the Super Bowl if Arizona advances that far, yet it would be "unrealistic" for the wide receiver to return before that as he recovers from a torn MCL.

ESPN reported Wednesday the 29-year-old was expected to miss the rest of the regular season due to a knee injury he suffered in Arizona's Week 14 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The Cardinals were hopeful he'd be able to return at some point during the postseason.

Hopkins was also sidelined for three games earlier this season due to a hamstring injury. He finished the regular season with 42 receptions for 572 yards and a team-high eight touchdowns.

The Clemson product is regarded as one of the top wide receivers in the NFL. He's in his second year with Arizona after being acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Houston Texans. He was named to the Pro Bowl for the fifth time last season and is a three-time first-team All-Pro selection.

While losing a player of Hopkins' caliber is a big blow to any team, the Cardinals have a solid receiver corps that should be able to replace his production. Christian Kirk leads the team, while veteran AJ Green is in the middle of a bounce-back year.

Rookie receiver Rondale Moore is likely to see more time on the field in Hopkins' absence. Tight end Zach Ertz and running back James Conner will also be relied on in Arizona's passing attack.

Arizona Cardinals general manager Steve Keim said during an appearance on 98.7 Arizona Sports' Burns & Gambo show that he is "hopeful" star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins can return from a knee injury for the playoffs, per Darren Urban of the team's website. 

Keim noted that Hopkins is set to undergo a procedure but is unsure when the veteran can return. 

The GM's comments come after ESPN's Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler reported that Hopkins' sprained knee was likely to keep him sidelined for the final four games of the regular season. 

The 29-year-old suffered the injury in Monday's 30-23 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. With time winding down in the fourth quarter, two Rams defenders landed on Hopkins' leg as he went up to catch a pass in the end zone.

Hopkins also missed three games earlier this season with a hamstring ailment. Despite the missed time, he still leads the team with eight touchdowns and ranks third with 572 receiving yards. 

Even if Hopkins misses the remainder of the regular season, Keim believes the team's depth behind the three-time All-Pro is "exceptional."

When you look at guys like Christian Kirk and A.J. Green, and it's not just the receiver position. To me, you look at different spots, like Zach Ertz who we added via trade. You look at the two backs that we have, are excellent catching the ball out of the backfield, as well as Eno (Benjamin) running the football.

So a lot of different weapons on this offense that I think can certainly pick up the load. It's tough to lose a guy like Hop, but at the same time, I think that there's a number of guys who can step up and perform at a high level.

Kirk leads the team with 53 catches for 718 yards and has also scored four touchdowns. Green ranks second with 42 catches for 654 yards, in addition to three scores. Ertz, who was acquired from the Philadelphia Eagles earlier in the season after Maxx Williams went down with a knee injury, has 28 catches for 321 yards and three scores in seven games for the Cardinals. 

Arizona's receiving corps should get a boost whenever running back Chase Edmonds returns, as he has missed the last three games with an ankle injury.

The Cardinals enter Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions (1-11-1) with a 10-3 record, the best in the NFC West. They finish the season with matchups against the Indianapolis Colts (7-6), Dallas Cowboys (9-4) and Seattle Seahawks (5-8). So even if Hopkins doesn't return before then, the team should fair just fine, especially with quarterback Kyler Murray playing at a high level. 

DeAndre Hopkins' regular season has reportedly come to an end, leaving the Arizona Cardinals without one of the top receivers in the NFL. 

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler, Hopkins is dealing with a sprained knee that is expected to keep him out for the rest of the regular season, but the Cardinals are "hopeful" he can return at some point in the playoffs. 

Schefter added Hopkins is getting a second opinion from Dr. Neal ElAttrache to determine if he will need surgery. 

Hopkins' status for the remainder of the regular season is the biggest part of the story from a fantasy perspective, especially with the postseason schedule starting this week.

Quarterback Kyler Murray has been exciting in his brief NFL career, especially in fantasy terms, but losing his top receiver will certainly set him back.

Hopkins' best skill on the field is winning one-on-one battles in the air, getting to balls that virtually no one else in the league can. As good as Murray is, losing this type of weapon could be a problem, especially in the red zone.

The third-year quarterback is staying in fantasy lineups regardless, but his upside takes a hit and he should be avoided in daily fantasy competitions. 

If there is any upside for fantasy managers with Hopkins on their roster, him not being available is a scenario they have already adjusted for. He missed three straight games from Week 9 to 11 due to a strained hamstring. 

In two games since returning, Hopkins wasn't much of a factor. The five-time Pro Bowler had seven catches for 86 yards and one touchdown combined. 

The injury does open things up for other pass-catchers on the roster, however, including Christian Kirk, A.J. Green and Rondale Moore.

Green and Kirk have been the more consistent weapons this season. Kirk has been the go-to wideout for Arizona's offense. He leads the team with 70 targets, 53 receptions and 718 receiving yards. 

Green has been the Cardinals' big-play receiver. The 33-year-old has 654 receiving yards and is averaging 15.6 yards per reception, his highest total in that category since he was a rookie in 2011 (16.3). 

Both players already had WR2 potential even with Hopkins available, but that will increase for the rest of the season. Green and Kirk are must-start options with a matchup against the Detroit Lions on Sunday. 

Moore, meanwhile, could be the most exciting option with his yards-after-catch ability. The Purdue alum hasn't created many big plays yet, but he ranks second on the team with 51 receptions. 

Losing Hopkins is going to create more opportunities for Moore to play in Arizona's three-receiver sets. He's an intriguing flex option depending on the right matchup, which the Lions are. 

Kirk is likely the safest bet of the three based on his production to this point, although all can post big numbers with Hopkins unavailable.

Two weeks after returning from a strained hamstring, Arizona Cardinals star DeAndre Hopkins is now dealing with a knee injury that will sideline him for the remainder of the regular season. 

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported Thursday that Hopkins is facing a six-week recovery after he undergoes surgery to repair a torn MCL, which could allow Hopkins to return for the playoffs if Arizona can make a run.

ESPN's Adam Schefter and Jeremy Fowler first reported Wednesday Hopkins is nursing a sprained knee that could require surgery.

Hopkins missed three games because of the hamstring injury. He played 87 percent of the offensive snaps in Monday's loss to the Los Angeles Rams, his highest total since Week 6 (89 percent). 

The 29-year-old did appear to be favoring his leg late in the game against the Rams. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury told reporters that Hopkins was set to undergo an MRI. 

The Cardinals acquired Hopkins in a surprise trade with the Houston Texans after the 2019 season. He is part of a promising offensive nucleus that has Kyler Murray at quarterback, James Conner and Chase Edmonds at running back and A.J. Green and Christian Kirk at receiver. 

Things have worked out well so far, with Hopkins catching 115 passes for 1,407 yards and six touchdowns in 2020. However, the Cardinals missed the playoffs after finishing third in the NFC West with an 8-8 record.

The Cardinals are off to a fantastic 10-3 start this season, but Hopkins has yet to really take off. The five-time Pro Bowler has 572 yards on 42 receptions, though he does have eight touchdown catches in 10 games. 

Durability has never been a problem for the Clemson product before 2021. He only missed two regular-season games in the previous eight seasons combined. 

Losing Hopkins will hurt the offense's explosiveness, but it is well positioned with enough skill-player depth to keep operating at a high level until he returns. Green and Kirk will likely take over as Murray's favorite targets for the time being. 

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick expressed his belief Monday that Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury should be the NFL Coach of the Year this season.

Belichick's comments came after Kingsbury told reporters the following regarding his feelings on Belichick and the Coach of the Year award: "I mean, they should just name the award 'Bill Belichick.' And when he retires, like, bring that back. But, yeah, until he retires, I don't think anybody else should get the award, honestly. He should be that every single year that he's coaching."

During an appearance on WEEI’s The Greg Hill Show (h/t Dana Scott of the Arizona Republic), Belichick responded: "That's very nice of Kliff to toss that bouquet. I'll toss it right back. Kliff has done a great job and should be the Coach of the Year."

Given how the Cardinals and Patriots have performed this season, both Kingsbury and Belichick have to be considered as strong contenders for the Coach of the Year award.

The Cards are coming off a tough 30-23 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday Night Football, but they are still tied for the best record in the NFC and the NFL as a whole at 10-3 along with the Green Bay Packers and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Kingsbury is in the midst of his third season as head coach of the Cardinals after previously serving as the head coach at Texas Tech, and after missing the playoffs in 2019 and 2020, Arizona seems poised to return to the postseason for the first time since 2015.

While improvement was expected for the Cardinals, it can be argued that Belichick's Patriots are performing well beyond what anyone could have expected.

At 9-4, the Pats aren't only leading the AFC East, they are also tied for the best record in the AFC overall with the Kansas City Chiefs and Tennessee Titans.

Defense is the biggest reason for New England's success this season, as the Patriots rank third in total defense and first in scoring defense.

Making the Pats' success even more impressive is the fact that they are doing it with rookie No. 15 overall pick Mac Jones at quarterback.

Jones was the fifth quarterback off the board in the 2021 NFL draft, and while he hasn't put up monster numbers, his efficiency and ability to protect the football has helped make him the best performer among rookie quarterbacks by far this season.

Belichick won the NFL Coach of the Year award in 2003, 2007 and 2010, making him one of only three coaches to win the award at least three times.

If he wins it a fourth time, he will tie Miami Dolphins legend Don Shula for the most Coach of the Year honors in NFL history.

Belichick could have won the award many more times than he has, but it typically goes to the coach of a surprising or overachieving team. Since the Patriots have always been expected to dominate during Belichick's tenure, he has been overlooked at times.

This year, however, the Pats are one of those surprising and overachieving teams, as they are back atop the AFC after missing the playoffs last season for the first time since 2008.

It will be tough to deny Belichick the award if the Patriots hang on and win the AFC East, but if the Buffalo Bills manage to chase them down, then Kingsbury will likely be heavily considered as a first-time winner.