Kyler Murray thinks back to last season, when DeAndre Hopkins was suspended and Murray's best friend Hollywood Brown was back with him for the first time since college. In the first month-plus together, Brown was among the league leaders in receptions.
The two have made it happen before. That's why everyone is waiting for them to make it happen again. One of the subplots of Murray's return is that Brown, after Kyler's first two games, hasn't been a factor.
"I'm not trying to force it to him," Murray said. "Sometimes it's how the game goes. ... When we were on the field together last year the stats were looking pretty good. It not me not trying to get him the rock. It's the way the game is going right now."
Brown is still leading the Cardinals in receptions (45), receiving yards (486) and receiving touchdowns (4), and barring injury, he could surpass 50 catches this season as soon as Sunday against the Rams (he needs five.) But he's nowhere near the league leaders in his numbers, despite a season in which he has been open for multiple deep plays that the quarterback could not get him the ball.
In the last two games with Murray, Kyler overthrew him on one potential touchdown against the Ravens and underthrew him when Brown had two steps on the defender, a potential touchdown turning into an interception.
There were also multiple missed chances when Josh Dobbs was still at quarterback -- chances that had all hit would've dramatically changed Brown's personal season and potentially outcomes of games.
"There have been a lot of missed opportunities," offensive coordinator Drew Petzing said. "In a game you get four or five chances to get him the ball in a big situation, sometimes we hit him, lately we haven't been able to hit him. It's frustrating for him, it's frustrating for us. But the thing that's been a big positive for him is he has stayed in it.
"The way he's gone about his day in and day out, I've been really impressed."
In the last two games, Brown has been targeted nine times, with just three receptions for 46 yards. His season-low of 18 yards came against the Texans. But Brown has said all season he has a good connection with the new regime, he is optimistic about getting a new contract done to stay in Arizona with the Cardinals and Murray (he is scheduled to be a free agent) and it's hard to believe he and Murray won't get right sooner rather than later.
"At the end of the day you want to get your best players the ball," Murray said. "No stress or pressing about it. Obviously he wants the ball and I feel a sense of urgency to get him the ball -- we all do -- but at quarterback, you can't force."
