Any and all playoff hopes for the Arizona Cardinals this year were dashed in Week 16.
Thus, quarterback Kyler Murray and rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. have two more tilts this season to get on the same page.
Tabbed as a can’t-miss prospect, Harrison has struggled to find a connection with Murray, leaving the two nowhere close to where they want to be 16 games into their first year together.
“We gotta get better,” Murray told reporters on Tuesday. “It’s not where he wants it, it’s not where I want it to be, it’s not where this team needs it to be. Again, I haven’t lost any confidence. Excited for these next two weeks.”
Once leaders of the NFC West, the Cardinals were grounded with four losses over the past five games. On Sunday, after losing to the Carolina Panthers, 36-30, Arizona was officially eliminated. Harrison had a paltry 39 receiving yards on four catches with no touchdowns.
The top-flight rookie hasn’t had a touchdown since Week 13 and hasn’t had more than five catches since Oct. 27 — which was also the last time and only the second game he’s had a 100-yard outing.
Much attention was paid to his lack of stats and opportunities, but he then exploded for 130 yards and two touchdowns on four receptions. It was hardly a foreshadowing of times ahead in the desert.
Heading into the last two games of the year, Harrison has 51 catches (tied for fifth among rookies), 726 receiving yards (fifth) and seven receiving TDs (second). Aside from the touchdowns, his numbers are hardly staggering, especially with fellow first-rounders such as Malik Nabers, Brian Thomas Jr. and tight end Brock Bowers having stellar seasons statistically.
Though the Cardinals’ season will come to a close shortly, an onus remains on the final two games to play for the future, as the Murray-Harrison connection needs to be a focal point for the franchise.
“We got no choice, we gotta get it to where we need it to be,” Murray said. “He is who he is, we gotta get it going — in order for our offense to be what we want it to be.”
The Murray-Harrison combo has games remaining Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams and on Jan. 5, 2025, against the San Francisco 49ers. Harrison had his aforementioned two-TD game against L.A., but had just two catches previously against San Francisco. He and Murray will look for more of what they got against the Rams as their chemistry experiment continues.
