[jwplayer uLGVuv4l]
The Houston Texans did not make the cut for Hall of Fame personnel guru Gil Brandt’s top-10 passing duos of 2020.
When the organization trades away a three-time All-Pro receiver in DeAndre Hopkins, leaving the cupboard with complementary receivers, it knocks Houston out of the top-10. As dynamic of a quarterback Deshaun Watson is, the fact is all of his success came while Hopkins was on the team. One can prove Hopkins is great without quarterback play. Can the same be said of Watson at the professional level?
Hopkins was still part of the list, albeit as an Arizona Cardinal. According to Brandt, second-year quarterback Kyler Murray and Hopkins are the third-best combo on his list behind Drew Brees-Michael Thomas and Matt Ryan-Julio Jones.
3) Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins, Arizona Cardinals: I have a world of respect for Texans coach Bill O’Brien, and I will give him the benefit of the doubt for his decision to trade away one of the NFL’s great receivers. Whatever you think of the move, though, Murray is a clear beneficiary. The dynamic young quarterback is ridiculously blessed to spend his second pro season throwing to one future Hall of Fame wideout (Larry Fitzgerald) and another (Hopkins) who is working his way squarely into the gold-jacket conversation.
What is inequitable about such lists is they are based entirely off of what has happened and not what is likely to happen. Over the next 12 months, Watson and newly acquired Texans receiver Brandin Cooks may be a part of Brandt’s list. After all, data from Pro Football Focus suggests that Cooks may be the perfect deep ball receiver for Watson. However, there are no games or film together to base that on for inclusion on a top-10 list.
Fun fact: new Indianapolis Colts quarterback Philip Rivers and receiver T.Y. Hilton were 10th on the list.
[vertical-gallery id=49003]