Tag: Marvin Harrison Jr.

Does Marvin Harrison Jr. have to improve in areas where Trey McBride has?

Jonathan Gannon might have proffered a clue to why Harrison hasn’t taken the league by storm when he was talking about Trey McBride Friday.

While their draft slots were apart by 51, albeit in different years, there is one thing similar about Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and tight end Trey McBride.

Harrison was selected fourth overall this year and was the first wide receiver to go off the board.

While McBride lasted until the 55th choice in the second round in 2022, he was also the first at his position to be picked in that draft.

That doesn’t mean everything will be great immediately when adjusting to the NFL game no matter how many wish it were so.

Surely, the expectations are heightened for players chosen as high as Harrison, but where you’re picked doesn’t matter a lick when it comes to mastering the nuances of the NFL and getting on the same page as your quarterback when you’re a pass-catcher.

Without saying it, head coach Jonathan Gannon might have proffered a clue to why Harrison hasn’t taken the league by storm when he was talking about McBride Friday.

Especially when both Harrison and Murray alluded to having to get on the same page as each other in the offense.

Murray was asked Wednesday that even though Harrison has seven touchdown receptions, how much upside does he think is still left in his game and your connection, and how can you maximize it a little bit more?

Murray quickly emphasized, “A lot. A lot. That’s exciting and also frustrating when it comes to both of our expectations for each other together. Rookie year, you’re trying to get better each and every week. But I’m not in his mind. That’s where the communication comes from and what he’s thinking, what he’s feeling, what he’s seeing, allowing the game to slow down.

“But there’s also an element of what he’s getting in the room versus what Kyler wants. We’ve just got to get on the same page. We’ve just got to continue to get on the same page, continue to allow him to play fast.”

As for McBride, when Murray was asked about him getting 15 targets and catching 12 in Week 12 for 133 yards against the Seahawks, he had a three-word answer. “He was open.”

Last Sunday, McBride caught all 12 of his targets for 96 yards, so he has 24 receptions on 27 targets for 229 yards in the last two games.

Meanwhile, Harrison was targeted 12 times against the Vikings, but caught only five. For the season, he has 41 receptions on 78 targets (52.6 percent).

McBride has 32 more catches on only 14 more targets. His receptions/targets percentage is 79.3.

We all have to ask ourselves: Does it appear as if Harrison is consistently getting open that often? The answer seems to be no. Or is part of it Murray not totally where Harrison will be on each play.

Yes, defenses play Harrison differently than McBride, but the numbers should be better than 3.4 receptions per game. That projects to 58 for the season.

Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell revealed after Sunday’s game about McBride, “I told him pregame — he came up to me pregame and said really nice things to me. I said, ‘Hey, man, I think you’re one of the best going right now in the NFL’ because he does it so many different ways. I think that’s where you saw the volume come into play today where maybe they want to be ready for pressure looks and things like that. At the same time, he’s essentially on many of those downs acting as the third wide receiver underneath; catch and run. Tons of yards after catch.

“When you really study them on tape, they’re designing ways to get him the ball, and he’s also a really good blocker. So it can really be a tough task as a defense because you’ve got to basically account for the whole playbook when he’s in there, based upon his skill-set. Really, really special player. I told him that before the game. I was kind of hoping he’d go easier on us than he did, which he did not. He was incredibly impactful today.”

So, let’s get to what Gannon said Friday that elicited this analysis while remembering issues there were at times between McBride and Murray last season when they weren’t on the same page. Read it and be thinking also about Harrison.

Asked where McBride has gotten better and if he has elevated his game, Gannon said, “Yeah. You guys watch the tape (not like coaches, of course!). Where he really has elevated his game is route detail. Just certain routes I think he’s gotten a lot better at running. There’s no indecision with the quarterback. How he’s gonna come out of things, when he’s gonna give him his eyes. That takes time. As good as he was last year, we sat down and said, ‘Hey, how do you become a better player?’

“One of the top things was just route detail. When I talk about detail guys, it’s like fourth outside step instead of fifth outside step. It’s minute (mi-noot). When you do those little things correctly, consistently, you should become a better player if we identified it right. He took it to heart. Ben’s (tight ends coach Ben Steele) done a really good job with him and he’s doing better.”

He surely is. And in time, Harrison will too.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

James Conner must be used more in Week 13 vs. Vikings

Arizona Cardinals RB James Conner is a beast so OC Drew Petzing must avoid the error of limiting his carries in NFL Week 13.

The Arizona Cardinals were not themselves in Week 12. Not only did the team have countless errors last week in their 16-6 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, running back James Conner only had seven carries, and that has not been a recipe for team success in 2024.



Over the four-game winning streak that was snapped last weekend, Conner averaged 17 carries per game, recorded two 100-yard games and had two touchdowns. Yet, Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing found a way to alienate Conner from the game plan in their very important Week 12 matchup.

Against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 13,  Petzing needs to rely on Conner to keep the Vikings offense on the sideline. Running the ball and sustaining offensive drives will help the Cardinals to dictate the pace of the game and prevent the game from turning into an offensive shootout.

Ultimately, it’s not that Conner can’t occupy as a asset with lesser usage but his play style helps to balance out the teams’ passing attack. Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores will likely blitz Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray so Petzing would be wise to run the ball to play on the attrition of the Vikings defense. Allowing Conner’s physicality to weigh on the Vikings might be pivotal down the stretch of this contest.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

Cardinals TE Trey McBride’s size makes him tough to cover

McBride is No. 4 in receptions by tight ends in the NFL as the Cardinals get ready to face the Seahawks.

Arizona Cardinals playmaker Trey McBride ranks No. 4 in receptions among NFL tight ends. It is McBride’s 6-foot-4 and 246-pound frame that makes him very difficult for nickel defenders to guard him in one one-on-one in man coverage.

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McBride is averaging a whopping 11.3 yards per catch and should be credited for quarterback Kyler Murray’s suburb pass completion percentage this season. McBride’s 65 targets are the most on the Cardinals and his sure hands have been a security blanket when his number has been called.

McBride still hasn’t recorded a receiving touchdown this season (he has a rushing touchdown and recovered a fumble for a touchdown), but it’s only a matter of time before he reaches the end zone. With running back James Conner and Murray working exceptionally in the RPO game, the Cardinals have been able to score on the ground so effectively that McBride hasn’t received many red zone targets. However, as opponents increase intel on the Cardinals’ ground attack, head coach Jonathan Gannon and offensive coordinator Drew Petzing will be able to scheme more heavily for McBride down in the red zone.

Stopping McBride will certainly be an area of focus for Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald in Week 12. Time will tell how the Seahawks plan to defend McBride when play-action scenarios arise.

Marvin Harrison Jr. graded just behind Malik Nabers through 10 weeks

Harrison is ranked No. 8 in rookies in PFF grades through 10 weeks.

The NFL season is beginning its 11th week of the 2024 season and we are a the point when coaches will begin to say that rookies are no longer rookies.

The Arizona Cardinals’ most-heralded rookie is receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who has had an up-and-down season.

He has 33 receptions for 499 yards and six touchdowns so far.

PFF has him as the eighth-highest graded rookie so far this season, coming in just behind fellow rookie receiver Malik Nabers, of the New York Giants.

Harrison has a PFF grade of 79.4.

Harrison saw five targets in the Cardinals’ big win over the Jets on Sunday, catching all five for 54 yards and a touchdown. He has averaged 1.90 yards per route run as a rookie and brought in 50% of the 22 contested targets that have come his way.

He is on pace for 56 receptions for 848 yards and 10 TDs.

The 10 touchdowns would be fantastic. The 56 catches and 848 yards would be a little disappointing but not bad. But if those numbers come with a playoff appearance or even a division title, it would be hard to complain about that.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

Garrett Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr. swap jerseys as Cardinals annihilate Jets

Garrett Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr. met in their first NFL matchup Sunday, and they left with each other’s jersey.

The day after Ohio State football throttled Purdue, Garrett Wilson and Marvin Harrison Jr., two former Buckeyes greats, battled it out in their first NFL matchup against each other.

While Harrison Jr.’s Cardinals destroyed the Jets by a margin almost similar to the Buckeyes 45-0 beatdown of Purdue, the two seemed to leave on good terms, swapping jerseys after the game.

Here’s a video that captured the moment.

The Cardinals won 31-6, taking a 24-6 lead into the half. Harrison Jr., who hasn’t quite had the production that many would’ve expected from the top-five pick, did end with five receptions for 54 yards and a touchdown.

Wilson was the Jets’ leading receiver, but he totaled just 41 yards and five receptions. It wasn’t a good day for the Jets offense, one that finished with 151 passing yards and 79 rushing yards.

The Jets pushed their record to 3-7 with the loss and Arizona is now firmly a playoff contending team with a 6-4 record through the first 10 weeks. Expect more to come from these receivers as they’re both still entering their respective primes.

Cardinals rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. bounced back against Dolphins

Cardinals rookie Marvin Harrison Jr. bounced back against the Dolphins, showing why he was the first non-QB drafted

It has been a quiet few weeks for one of the most anticipated rookies out of the 2024 NFL Draft class in wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.. Over the last three weeks prior to this game Harrison had compiled just over 50 yards receiving. Against the Miami Dolphins, however, Harrison looked like his regular explosive self in a big win at Hard Rock Stadium.

Harrison Jr. looked every bit the player Arizona hoped he was coming out of Ohio State, using his length and speed to take advantage of the Dolphins’ secondary all afternoon. Harrison hauled in 6 catches for 111 yards and caught a diving touchdown in the corner of the endzone. Harrison was as explosive as we have seen all season and, at times, was impossible to guard down the field.

 

Now that Arizona has snagged the division lead with two wins in a row, it’s the perfect time for Kyler Murray and Harrison Jr. to start clicking with each other and make this one of the more intriguing offenses in the league. Harrison Jr. should be able to build upon this game and continue to put up impressive numbers in an offense that is bound to start featuring him the more he improves.

Trio of Kyler Murray, Marvin Harrison Jr., Trey McBride comes up big vs. Dolphins

QB Kyler Murray accounts for 326 of Cardinals 389 yards, while WR Marvin Harrison Jr., TE Trey McBride total 235

Where do I begin?

To tell the story of how great a game can be?

The sweet love story that is older than the sea.

The simple truth about the game you bring to me.

Where do I start?

—With apologies to the movie, Love Story, and a couple word changes, circa 1970

We’ll start or begin with 6:29 remaining in the third quarter of the Arizona Cardinals’ improbable 28-27 win over the Miami Dolphins Sunday in Miami Gardens, Fla., with a temperature of 82 degrees and 52 percent humidity.

The Dolphins led 20-10, and were on their own 13-yard line after a 59-yard Blake Gillikin punt to the 7 was returned six yards. An incomplete pass on first down was followed by a shotgun snap that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa failed to handle and after it careened past the goal line, he batted the ball out the back of the end zone for safety.

Somehow, that seemed to give life to the Arizona offense. To that point, the Cardinals had run 34 plays for only 161 yards (4.7 per play) with three three-and-outs and totaled only nine first downs.

Prior to the 13-yard loss on the aborted snap, the Dolphins had 286 yards on 48 plays.

After a first-down incompletion, running back James Conner, who had a mere six yards on 10 carries at that point, went for 13 yards and that was followed by a 17-yard play to tight end Trey McBride.

The Cardinals were off to the races. The drive ended with a stunning 22-yard touchdown catch by wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and a failed two-point conversion.

The Dolphins bounced back with a touchdown for a 27-18 lead, but the Cardinals didn’t waver. A Conner 2-yard run made it 27-25 and we all know what happened after a third-down stop that led to another long drive for the winning field goal as time expired.

No one saw the reversal of fortunes coming. On the three scoring possessions, the Cardinals had 228 yards on 29 plays (7.9 per play) with 13 first downs including 4-for-4 on third down. Before that stretch, they were 3-for-9 on third down.

Quarterback Kyler Murray was 14-for-17 for 170 yards and the duo of Harrison (4-78) and McBride (4-57) had eight of the receptions for 135 yards. McBride had a 17-yard play for a third-down conversion and Harrison one for 16.

In the game, Murray was 26-for-36 for 307 yards, while McBride (9-124) and Harrison (6-111) each eclipsed 100 yards.

A few days before the game, Harrison had to admit things hadn’t been as he envisioned after seven games. When asked Sunday if this was how he envisioned things going, there was laughter when he said simply, “Yeah, definitely.”

Murray had always maintained confidence in Harrison with the belief big days would come. Asked about figuring out what would work and being consistently on the same page, Murray said, “I don’t really see all the speculation and stuff because I’m not really on Twitter and stuff like that. But he hears it. I hear. It’s hard not to hear it. At the end of the day, he’s got to be himself and just continue to get better each and every week. That’s all we have to do. It’s going to get there. (Expletive) don’t happen overnight, you know what I mean?”

There were several big plays aside from the touchdown, especially an 18-yarder that got the Cardinals to midfield on second-and-15 two plays after left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. was flagged for holding.

“I’m super proud of him today,” Murray said. “He kind of took over. It’s one of those moments where you feel like when I dropped back, especially that dig over the middle where we got the holding penalty; catches it, takes a hit in the head and stays up. Those were confidence-builders. And I feel like this game was really big for him and for me and for us to get on that (same) page. Again, a guy like that, you have to just give him opportunities, and I think that’s a big deal.”

When Harrison was asked about the whole figuring it out thing, his awareness shined through.

“At the end of the day, it just comes down to execution,” Harrison said. “I’ve got to run the right route. I’ve got to run a great route to get open. I catch the ball. He needs to do his job; his part as well. That’s what it comes down to at the end of the day.”

So, Marvin, no secret sauce.

“Yeah, no secret sauce,” he said.

As for Murray, who added 19 key yards rushing and wasn’t sacked for a third consecutive game, and Harrison, head coach Jonathan Gannon said, “The touchdown to Marv, unbelievable catch. Unbelievable play there. Kyler, I thought, was electric. They couldn’t sack him. He extended plays a bunch. He had a couple of free runners, he extended the play, got out of them. He’s tough back there to get down, and when he extends plays, our guys get open, and we make plays. He was lights out, too.”

Former NFL quarterback Chris Simms couldn’t resist on NBC’s Football Night in America when he said, “Remember when Kyler Murray got in trouble for playing Call of Duty? Duty called for him today to make some plays in the pass game and Kyler Murray delivered.”

On extending plays, Murray said, “That’s the gift that God blessed me with, being able to move around. I trust those guys up front. It’s the NFL. You have guys coming off the edge every weekend that are pretty dominant, but the guys up front, they hold their own and I’m proud of them to be able to fight for four quarters. Obviously, a team like that that blitzes a lot, it’s on me to be able to get the ball out knowing I’m hot.”

McBride’s success came on National Tight Ends Day, which Murray said he knew about.

“That didn’t go into my play,” he said, “but yeah, I did know that. Elijah’s (Higgins) birthday too (No. 24). Shout out to Elijah.”

Higgins added 13 yards on two receptions.

Murray glowed about McBride, saying, “He’s a beast. I can’t say enough about Trey. I tell you all every week I think he could be the best in the league. The athleticism, being able to block. He can do it all. We’ve got to continue to get him the rock.”

Only in his third season, Murray said, “When he first came in, he was kind of the young buck who didn’t really know what was going on. That stopped a little bit. The game is moving fast. You have to learn a lot, but now it’s like he’s a damn savvy vet. He gets it. He’s under control at all times.

“The game is moving slow for him, and he’s telling me certain things that he sees and zones and stuff like that. Trey has come a long way.”

Hopefully, facetiously, McBride referred to National Tight Ends Day as “a huge holiday in this world. So obviously knew that was a day and was happy that I was able to have a good day on National Tight Ends Day.”

It was left to Harrison to admit “it feels great,” but then added some perspective knowing that despite being technically in first place in the NFC West, the Cardinals are 4-4 as are Seattle and the 49ers, with the Rams at 3-4.

“It’s hard to get wins in this league,” Harrison said. “It’s hard to be consistent in this league, period, so obviously we have to keep going, keep building on this and never get complacent.”

That’s an obvious message in a league where the true separator is being able to win close games. After losing one-score games to Buffalo and Detroit, the Cardinals were 2-7 since Jonathan Gannon became head coach last season.

They are now 5-7 after three victories over the 49ers, Chargers and Dolphins by a total of four points.

Gannon usually notes, even after a big win, that “we got a long way to go,” and Sunday he said about momentum, “I don’t think wins carry over, but I think confidence does and I think that’s what you are starting to see a little bit. These last three weeks, you take two trips back and forth. You play a Monday night game. It’s a short week.

“Those are just external factors. So we lay it out to them: ‘Hey, this is what the challenge is. This is what the week is going to look like.’ We have to get ready to play good ball to get a win … Next game.”

Which is next Sunday against the Bears.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

 

Jim Harbaugh not happy with officiating late in Chargers’ Week 7 loss to Cardinals

In his press conference after the game on Monday, Chargers head coach Jim Harbaugh was upset on how the game was officiated.

The Chargers’ loss to the Cardinals on Monday was crushing. It dropped the AFC West squad to 3-3, and these kinds of games are crucial to the playoff picture later in the season.

Late in the Week 7 contest, a few questionable officiating calls contributed to the outcome. After the loss, head coach Jim Harbaugh was clearly upset with how the game was officiated.

“I saw what I saw, but I have no comment about it,” Harbaugh said about Cam Hart’s unnecessary roughness penalty.

The penalty helped Arizona march down the field for a game-winning field goal as time expired. That wasn’t the only controversial call late in the game, either.

On Los Angeles’ final drive, wide receiver Simi Fehoko was held up on a ball that landed in the endzone. After initially throwing a flag, the referees deemed the throw uncatchable and, therefore, picked up the flag.

“They [the refs] were doing the uncatchable sign. We had a double move on, he got grabbed. I’ll let them explain how they officiated that play,” Harbaugh said.

The picked-up flag forced the Chargers to settle for their fifth field goal of the game. A touchdown would have forced the Cardinals to go down the field and score a touchdown as well.

Despite the poor officiating, the Chargers acknowledged their lack of details throughout the contest. It was a game that slipped through their hands for many reasons, but the officiating was frustrating throughout.

Everything to know from Chargers’ loss to Cardinals

Here’s our recap of the Chargers’ 17-15 road loss to the Cardinals.

The Chargers lost to the Cardinals on Monday night, falling to 3-3.

Here’s our recap of the Week 7 loss.

It was over when…

Cardinals kicker Chad Ryland made a 32-yard field goal as time expired.

Notable number

Justin Herbert threw for 349 yards with a 97.1 passer rating tonight. No other quarterback in NFL history has thrown for that many yards with that high of a passer rating and yet had his team fail to score an offensive touchdown and lose the game, according to OptaSTATS.

3 stars of the game

  1. QB Justin Herbert: Despite not having much of a supporting cast around him to throw to, Herbert was still sharp and kept the Chargers in this game. He finished the contest 27 of 39 passing for 349 yards. Herbert also averaged 8.9 yards per pass, which is incredible, given the lack of talent in the receiving room.
  2. TE Will Dissly: Dissly was signed primarily as a blocking tight end. But on Monday night, he stepped up as Los Angeles’ top target in the passing game. Dissly caught eight catches for 81 yards.
  3. K Cameron Dicker: All the Bolts’ points came from field goals. Dicker made all five field goals he attempted, connecting from 59, 50, 29, 47 and 40 yards out.

Quick hits

  • Herbert played his best game of the season, throwing for over 300 yards. However, the Chargers still came up short. He connected with nine different pass-catchers. Five of them had catches that went for over 20 yards. But the group still struggled to create consistent separation and dealt with dropped passes.
  • Coming into this game, many, including myself, thought the Chargers would have success running the ball against a Cardinals defense that ranked 29th against the run. Los Angeles failed to do so. J.K. Dobbins only had 40 yards on 14 carries (2.9 YPC). Arizona did a good job of winning at the line of scrimmage and filling holes.
  • The Chargers failed to find the end zone in their only trip to the red zone. They have had 14 straight drives without a touchdown. The lack of talent among the skill players has been a factor, but Greg Roman’s playcalling is also to blame.
  • The Cardinals had their way against the Chargers on the ground. James Connor ran 19 times for 101 yards. Los Angeles had a hard time bringing down Connor the entire game, including on the final drive when he scampered for a 33-yard gain to get Arizona in position for the game-winning field goal.
  • We emphasized how imperative it was for the Chargers to contain Kyler Murray. For the most part, Murray was kept in check until he wasn’t when he ran along the sideline for a 44-yard touchdown.
  • The Chargers had a few plays they wish had gone the other way. It started with Teair Tart’s interception, which the Cardinals punched out and recovered. Shortly after, Jalen Reagor caught a deep pass and had it popped out into the end zone for a touchback. Cam Hart forced a fumble on Connor early in the second quarter, but Trey McBride recovered it.
  • The Chargers committed five penalties, but the last two were the most detrimental. As it approached the two-minute warning, a third-down flag was thrown for illegal contact/holding, but it was picked up. That would’ve resulted in a fresh set of downs. Then, Hart was flagged for unnecessary roughness on a hit to Marvin Harrison Jr.

What’s next?

The Chargers are back home to face the Saints (2-5) on Sunday, Oct. 27, at 1:05 p.m. PT. The game will be televised on FOX.

Marvin Harrison Jr. has another quiet game as Cardinals beat Chargers

He had only three catches for 21 yards against the Chargers.

The Arizona Cardinals beat the L.A. Chargers 17-15 at home on Monday night, getting a game-winning 32-yard field goal from kicker Chad Ryland as time expired.

It was a valiant performance by the defense. Quarterback Kyler Murray made big plays and running back James Conner was again the star.

Once again, though, it was a quiet game for rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

Eight days after leaving a game with a concussion and logging only one catch for four yards on four targets, he came back and contributed only three receptions for 21 yards. He was targeted six times. He had the second-most targets and receptions on the team but was not very impactful. He also had a drop in the final drive, although the play resulted in a net positive because a helmet-to-helmet hit on him gave the Cardinals 15 yards.

Much of the television broadcast focused on his lack of involvement and also missed opportunities.

He had the big game in Week 2 but so far has not provided the punch many hoped he would give the passing game.

Through seven games, he has caught 20 passes for 300 yards and four touchdowns.

If he keeps up this pace, he will finish with only 41 catches for 729 yards. That will probably pick up as the season progresses, but it has been tougher than expected so far.

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

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