Kyler Murray has already etched his name into Bills history with his unforgettable last-second touchdown pass to DeAndre Hopkins during their only matchup against Buffalo.
As the Cardinals and Bills face off again in Buffalo for the season opener, much has changed since that iconic “Hail Murray” moment from four years ago.
The trio of defenders who were outleaped by Hopkins—safeties Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde, and cornerback Tre’Davious White—along with Hopkins himself, have either moved on from the NFL or switched teams.
Reflecting on his 43-yard game-winning throw, Murray noted, “It feels like it happened a long time ago. It was a great win.” Despite guiding the Cardinals to the playoffs in 2021, he has seen limited success over the past two seasons, with only eight wins in total.
Now in his sixth NFL season and recovering from a torn ACL, Murray is eager to reaffirm his status among the league’s top players and lead the Cardinals to success.
Murray remarked, “This is the first game of the year, but I’ve been focused on football all offseason. I’ve been thinking about this game and what I want to achieve with this team for a long time.”
In Buffalo, there’s a forward-looking mindset as well, following an offseason overhaul that saw the departure of six of eight team captains, leaving only 11 players from the 2020 squad.
Coach Sean McDermott, who winced at the mention of the previous game, noted, “Yeah, I remember that game. Thanks.” Despite the loss being a part of the journey that shaped Buffalo’s resilience, he’s keen not to dwell on it too much.
