At halftime of Thursday evening’s recreation between the Arizona Cardinals and the Seattle Seahawks, Sam Darnold and firm led 14-3. Because the soccer world waited for the sport to renew, one query lingered over the Cardinals.
Have they got a Marvin Harrison Jr. downside?
The fourth-overall choice within the 2024 NFL Draft, the broad receiver entered Thursday evening’s recreation with ten receptions on the yr for 142 yards and a landing over Arizona’s first three video games. There was additionally a pair of drops over these three video games. Not brutal numbers, however not the numbers you count on from the fourth-overall choice, and the primary non-quarterback taken in that draft class.
Issues went from “not brutal” to brutal over the primary half.
Kyler Murray threw this interception when it appeared that Harrison stopped operating on the route whereas Murray tried to steer him to the center of the sphere. That miscommunication led to the interception, and whereas the Cardinals would recuperate a fumble on the play and regain possession, it was not an excellent search for the offense:
Right here is one other have a look at the play, the place Kirk Herbstreit appears to place the blame on Harrison:
After the sport, Murray shouldered the blame for that play. However that didn’t cease the questions.
Nor did this subsequent play. Whereas that interception ended with the Cardinals regaining possession, this second interception from the primary half didn’t.
And the blame was simpler to evaluate:
With the Cardinals dealing with Third-and-11 simply exterior the purple zone, Murray drives in an ideal throw to Harrison, who can’t safe the catch. As a substitute, the free soccer results in the arms of Ernest Jones IV, and the Seahawks have their second interception of the sport:
It was a 20-6 contest deep into the fourth quarter, as Seattle gave the impression to be on the verge of successful the sport simply.
That’s when Murray and the Arizona offense got here alive, and Cardinals followers renewed their hope within the younger broad receiver.
Arizona’s first landing of the evening got here on an unbelievable catch from Harrison, working in opposition to Devon Witherspoon, one in every of Seattle’s finest defenders, in protection:
You’ll be able to virtually see the reduction within the receiver as he takes a second in the long run zone, on a knee, to not have fun, however maybe to savor.
Right here is one other have a look at that play from a distinct angle:
Harrison makes use of an inside launch in opposition to Witherspoon on this nook route, getting contained in the defender earlier than breaking again exterior. Whereas Witherspoon is draped throughout Harrison, Murray places this throw in an ideal spot, and Harrison completes the play with a troublesome catch over the defender.
Harrison was not executed, as a couple of minutes later, he made a troublesome adjustment on a slot-fade route — once more working in opposition to Witherspoon — to increase one other Arizona possession:
Witherspoon regarded for intervention within the type of a flag for Offensive Move Interference, however no such intervention would comply with.
Arizona tied the sport on that drive; nevertheless, Seattle in the end gained on a last-second subject aim. Whereas there are not any ethical victories within the NFL, you may excuse the Cardinals fan in your life who’s making an attempt to say one, given what Harrison confirmed within the fourth quarter.
In that body alone, the second-year WR caught all 5 of his targets for 42 yards and a landing.
And stored his quarterback’s belief.
“He needs me, I need him,” Murray stated after the sport. “It is a group sport, four-quarter recreation, and I perceive he’s not popping out of the sport. I don’t need him to return out of the sport.
“So, we got to get this going. And that’s really just what it is. Just conversations on the sideline, keeping his confidence up.”
Murray admitted in his feedback that whereas he believed the interceptions had been on Harrison’s thoughts Thursday evening, he continued to battle.
“I just think Marv expects so much from himself,” stated the Arizona quarterback.
“But I love the way that he fought back and continued to play hard and continued to make plays,” Murray added. “Clearly, he’s most likely going to go dwelling fascinated about that s—. However on the finish of the day, once more, it’s soccer. All of us make errors. However he continued to battle. I’m excited.
“He played his ass off in fourth quarter,” Murray continued. “When he got man, he made [the] plays. The touchdown catch was an amazing catch. So, again, I got the utmost confidence in him. I think he should have it as well.”
Harrison’s coach additionally weighed in.
“I thought he came and lit it up in the second half,” stated Jonathan Gannon.
“He wants to help the team win,” Gannon added. “He gets down on himself. He’s got to let that go and control the controllables, which for me for him is just play fast. Control your effort, your mode of play and play fast, and I thought that’s what he did.”
Arizona could have misplaced a recreation Thursday evening.
However they could have secured one other win in the long run: The inspiration for a greater, extra assured model of Marvin Harrison Jr.
