Hail Murray To DeAndre Hopkins Still Stunning To Cardinals

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The Cardinals had practiced the play since Kingsbury arrived, but had never called it in a game. Murray wasn't given much of a choice with his decision, with the protection quickly breaking down before Isabella was able to get across the field.


Humphries said he couldn't even see Hopkins – only a bunch of white shirts. Murray just knew Hopkins was down there, not that he saw the conclusion. Not live.


"Playing quarterback, you can tell the trajectory, the touch of the ball, but I think I was looking at the sideline, and I just got the reaction from everybody," Murray said. "I don't think I saw him catch the ball. I really don't remember."


In fact, cameras caught Murray with his back to the play as it happened, the QB watching it unfold on the huge video board at the stadium's south end with the catch on the north end.


"I thought it was funny that Kyler being 5-9, couldn't see over anybody to see what was going on in the end zone so he looked back at the big screen to see if he caught it or not," Kingsbury said. "That takes a very heady, very confident athlete to throw that Hail Mary and immediately turn back and look backwards."


According to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was only the second time in the last 60 years a game featured two go-ahead touchdown passes in the last 40 seconds. Josh Allen hit Stefon Diggs with a 22-yard score with 34 seconds left, setting up the Murray-Hopkins heroics.


Linebacker Markus Golden said it reminded him of Aaron Rodgers' Hail Mary to the same end zone in the 2015 playoffs – "It felt good to be on the other side" – and it was Golden who came within an eyelash of getting to Rodgers on that play, so he could understand the Bills' frustration.


"When you've got a receiver like Hop, and Kyler Murray throwing the ball like that, I don't think you can practice for that," Golden said.


"That's the only time I've ever seen it not be luck," Humphries said. "He went up and took that ball."


Humphries and many Cardinals took off their helmets after the play, thinking the game was over. Instead, two seconds remained, and those who were paying attention let the others know there was still an extra-point play to execute and then a kickoff to go.


So, Humphries admitted, that too was seeping into his head during that moment of gif-tastic fame.


"Also in this moment of looking crazy, I'm thinking, 'Where is my helmet. We have to go back on the field and I don't have my helmet,' " Humphries said. "But then Markus comes out of nowhere with my helmet."

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