The Arizona Cardinals will be relying on Marquise Brown to carry the passing game through the first six weeks of the season, with DeAndre Hopkins serving his suspension. Brown will need to acclimate himself into the offense in a hurry, becoming the No. 1 wide receiver in his first season with a new team (at least for the first third of the year).
Head coach Kliff Kingsbury doesn't seem concerned about Brown getting used to the offense. The Cardinals wide receiver was working with Murray prior to his trade to Arizona.
"I'd say, comparatively speaking, if you're talking about a guy who didn't know the quarterback or didn't play in a similar system and didn't get to work out with him and hear the calls, see the signals, I would say he's way ahead of the curve when it comes to that," Kingsbury said, via ESPN. "I think it's similar to what he played in at OU (Oklahoma).
"Obviously, position-wise, no-huddle type stuff, signal-based. But he's been in Baltimore for a while now, and so it's just readjusting to that, but I think he feels comfortable in what we're doing."
Brown (1,008) recorded the second 1,000-yard season by a wide receiver drafted by the Ravens, joining Torrey Smith (who had 1,128 yards for Baltimore in 2013). He finished with 91 catches for 1,008 yards and six touchdowns in 16 games, averaging 11.1 yards per catch. Brown has 195 catches for 2,361 yards and 21 touchdowns in three seasons (12.1 yards per catch), improving his reception and yardage totals each year. His 11 touchdown receptions of 20-plus yards and seven touchdowns of 40-plus yards are tied for third-most in the NFL since the start of the 2019 season.
The Cardinals brought in Brown to help Murray and company win a playoff game, as he gives them another deep threat to an already potent offense. Brown is just one of three wide receivers in NFL history with 85 receiving yards in each of their first three playoff contests.
Getting off to a good start with this offense is paramount. Brown appears on his way toward having a strong season in Arizona.