When DeAndre Hopkins pulled in a Hail Mary from Kyler Murray to beat the Bills in Week 10, the Cardinals were 6-3 and their chances of making the playoffs looked strong.
The Cardinals would go 2-5 from that point, however, and they couldn’t maintain the kind of offensive success that helped them get out to such a good start on the season. While on Arizona Sports 98.7 recently, Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill said the team has to make good moves in free agency and the draft but that’s not the only direction to a stronger finish in 2021.
Murray’s growth will be an important part of the package and Bidwill said he hopes there will be a “more normalized OTA and offseason” period to use as a stepping stone to new heights for the first overall pick of the 2019 draft.
“I want to see the next jump,” Bidwill said, via the team’s website. “I think we all want to see the next jump. He made a big step forward between his rookie year and his second year. We really want to see that next level, and hopefully that’s going to come in the offseason, where we’re able to get together and see that development and the connection with his receiver group, with the offensive line. . . . I fully expect [improvement], and I know he expects the same. He’s got a fire in his belly. We’ve all seen it. He’s got a competitive spirit where he wants to win, and he wants to win now. I love that. That’s what I want. That’s what I expect, and that’s what he expects.”
Despite the rough ending, Murray’s second season was better than his rookie campaign. Another step in that direction might push Arizona into the playoffs for the first time since 2015.