Arizona Cardinals’ wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins is opening up about his crazy game-winning catch. The NFL athlete made a catch on a hail mary in the Buffalo Bills’ end zone with only seconds to spare.
The catch has Hopkins in a celebratory mood. On Twitter, he responded to Cardinals’ quarterback Kyler Murray’s tweet honoring his achievement. He assured the quarterback, “Never Panic.”
… Never Panic https://t.co/c0spzZqUBE
— Deandre Hopkins (@DeAndreHopkins) November 16, 2020
In an interview after the game, Hopkins commented on the catch and his thought process in the end zone. Drinking a bottle of water, Hopkins appeared both calm and confident.
“It was on three people,” Hopkins said. “They were in position. It was just a better catch by I.”
“They were in position, it was just a better catch by I” – Deandre Hopkins 😂 pic.twitter.com/Mgs4ZVcALm
— CJ Fogler #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) November 16, 2020
Hopkins’ Catch Shocked Even His Team Mates
Even Hopkins’ own team was surprised by the catch. Several commented their disbelief in watching Hopkins come down with the ball. Coach Kliff Kingsbury commented on the big play after the game.
“Just to get the pass off was incredible,” Kingsbury said. “If you watch the replay, he’s running and dodging and ducking. I didn’t think he could get it off and then to put that type of loft on it and give him a chance. From my vantage point, I couldn’t see much, but I saw the crowd go crazy. I just kept asking our guys, ‘Did he catch it?'”
Hopkins also got a big reaction from the public including NBA legend Lebron James. The Lakers’ athlete had a Twitter freak-out after seeing Hopkins’ catch. James wrote, “WOW WOW WOW!! HOP HOP HOP! @DeAndreHopkins My bro different!!”
WOW WOW WOW!! HOP HOP HOP! @DeAndreHopkins My bro different!!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) November 16, 2020
Fox Sports’ Michael Strahan also questioned the wisdom of the Houston Texans trading Hopkins to the Cardinals. He wondered if they regretted their decision after seeing the play. The Texans made the trade before the beginning of the 2020 season. Many criticized the team for letting Hopkins leave Houston.
Now Strahan is asking, “How do you trade him?”
DeAndre Hopkins Made the Catch with Seconds to Spare
Hopkin’s big play came at the end of the fourth quarter with only seconds to spare. The Cardinals were down by just four points after the Bills scored with 30 seconds left in the game. With very little time left on their side, the Cardinals rallied with a hail mary, last-ditch effort to win the game.
Fortunately for both Murray and the Cardinals, Hopkins managed to catch the ball in the end zone. The wide-receiver beat out three Bills players surrounding him for the catch. The Cardinals beat the Bills 32-30.
