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Marvin Harrison Jr. shows encouraging signs in Arizona Cardinals loss
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — This was precisely the play that has so frustrated the Cardinals for the better part of four months.
Their $230 million quarterback dropped back and took aim at the back shoulder of their first-round rookie wide receiver. Together, Kyler Murray and Marvin Harrison Jr. represent the future of this franchise. They were organization-defining investments, taken with top-five picks — first and fourth — half a decade apart. They are still young, 27 and 22. They possess prodigious talent. Yet they both have been marred by inconsistency. Whether either will prove the Cardinals’ investment shrewd remains an open question.
And no play has more exemplified the Cardinals’ unfulfilled visions than the back shoulder fade. Murray tried it for the first time in Week 1 against Buffalo, when Harrison didn’t anticipate its arrival. Since then, attempts have fallen incomplete in all fashions. They’ve bounced off Harrison’s hands, sailed over his head, and soared out of bounds. When he and Murray are on the same page, the execution is off. When the ball is well-placed, the communication isn’t right.
So here they were on Saturday night in SoFi Stadium, trying it again. This time, it looked exactly like the visions. Murray placed the ball perfectly. Harrison expected it. And Harrison executed. He spun his body away from cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, pinpointed the ball and ripped it into his grasp for 24 yards that felt like a lot more.
“That was a great catch,” Murray said. “I think the physicality of it, coming from college to the league, guys don’t realize how physical you can be when you get to the league. I think that’s one thing that he’ll be able to realize, obviously talking to him. Big-body dude, being able to use that ability.”
If that first catch was a glimpse of what this connection could be, it morphed into a full picture over the remainder of the night. By the end of a frustrating 13-9 loss to the Rams, Harrison had provided a silver lining that might matter more than the result itself. He finished with six catches on 10 targets for 96 yards. In every category except touchdowns, it was his best performance since an October trip to Miami.
“When (he got) one-on-one opportunities with no help — they’re not playing two-on-one — he made some hay out there,” Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said. “I thought he was excellent.”
Harrison’s production came in all forms. There was a toe-dragging sideline catch after Murray hit him on the run. There was a deep ball over the middle when a play broke down. There were multiple crossing routes, on which Harrison has excelled all season. There was a quick out for a key first down in the fourth quarter.
It didn’t lead to a win — or even to many points — but it did produce a passing offense that looked more like what the Cardinals need.
Murray finished with a season-high 321 yards, completing 33 of his 48 pass attempts. Typically, when the Cardinals’ run game has been ineffective this year — as it often was Saturday behind a depleted offensive line — their pass game suffers. Without play-action looks or multiple-tight end sets, Murray becomes ineffective.
Not on Saturday. He was 26 of 35 for 231 yards on straight dropbacks. When throwing more than 20 yards downfield, he was 4 of 6 for 87 yards. Explosiveness, at last.
“That’s encouraging moving forward,” receiver Michael Wilson said. “That when we’re firing on all cylinders and connecting, this is what the product can look like.”
In the past, these performances haven’t proved replicable. The last time the Cardinals faced the Rams, Harrison dominated — only to average 33.2 yards over his next five games. The win over Miami also looked like a breakout, but he reverted again, stringing together seven straight underwhelming outings.
The Rams defense offers another caveat. They entered the game allowing 7.1 yards per pass attempt, the fifth-worst mark in the league. Seven receivers this season have gone for at least 100 yards against them. Some are stars. Jauan Jennings, Jameson Williams and Khalil Shakir are not.
Still, Saturday’s performance was enticing.
There is no ignoring Harrison’s inconsistency this season. Earlier this week, even general manager Monti Ossenfort acknowledged that “there are plays (Harrison) certainly would want back” during an appearance on Arizona Sports 98.7.
But Ossenfort also repeated the refrain that has come from every member of the organization.
“We’ve seen (Murray and Harrison) clicking, we’ve seen those two not be on the same page sometimes,” Ossenfort said. “… It will get there. But it’s going to take time.”
It often takes time for the game’s top receivers. Recently, the NFL has been inundated with dominant rookie seasons from receivers such as Puka Nacua, Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson. But consider the two players to whom Harrison is most often compared.
His Hall of Fame father, Marvin Harrison Sr., finished his rookie year with 64 receptions, 836 yards and eight touchdowns.
The greatest receiver in Cardinals history, Larry Fitzgerald, finished his rookie year with 58 receptions, 780 yards and eight touchdowns.
Harrison, through 16 games — as many as those two played as rookies — has 57 receptions, 822 yards and seven touchdowns.
It’s not what he envisioned, back when he was college football’s best receiver and touted as a generational draft prospect. But Harrison knows it can still lead to so much more, as long as he takes strides like the ones he took against the Rams.
“It’s been a long season,” Harrison said last week. “A lot of ups and downs. So to finish out strong would be good.”
On Saturday night in Inglewood, he got halfway there. It made another Cardinals loss sting that much less.
In Sunday’s game against the Arizona Cardinals, wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. showed promising signs of growth and development despite the team’s loss.
Harrison Jr., the son of former NFL star Marvin Harrison, had a standout performance with several impressive catches and solid route running. He displayed great chemistry with quarterback Kyler Murray, making key plays and helping to move the chains throughout the game.
Although the Cardinals ultimately fell short in their matchup against the opposing team, Harrison Jr.’s performance was a bright spot for fans and coaches alike. His continued improvement and contributions to the team’s offense are a promising sign for the young receiver’s future in the league.
As the season progresses, it will be exciting to see Harrison Jr. continue to make strides and establish himself as a key player for the Cardinals. With his talent and work ethic, he has the potential to become a valuable asset for the team and make a significant impact on the field.
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