Harrison Jr.’s missing act and Brissett’s bad day expose Cardinals’ offense vs. Seattle

We are living in an age of misinformation, a world full of fibs, falsehoods and AI fabrications.

But nothing lies like Week 1 of the NFL season.

The cold hard truth was on display Sunday at State Farm Stadium, where the visiting Seahawks unplugged the Cardinals’ offense along with all the giddy optimism that had been growing in the Valley.

Instead of shocking the world for a second consecutive week, the Cardinals were put in their place by the reigning Super Bowl champions.

Thud.

Instead of furthering his reputation as one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the NFL, Jacoby Brissett was stymied, flummoxed and harassed for most of the afternoon. The Seattle defense can make most quarterbacks appear less than stellar (see Drake Maye in Week 1). But Brissett performed terribly under pressure on Sunday, and for his legion of critics in the Valley, this performance will do him no favors.

Instead of resembling an octane-fueled offense that might be a problem for the entire NFL, the Cardinals were smothered by Seattle’s transcendent defense, producing a paltry 151 yards in 47 plays. The game exposed serious questions about their offensive line and their AWOL wide receiver, Marvin Harrison Jr.

In fact, Cardinals wide receivers combined for just four catches and 29 yards. The offense had zero explosiveness and no plays that gained 10 or more yards. And Harrison Jr.’s goose egg was particularly alarming, a player who was selected fourth overall in the 2024 NFL Draft and is getting very close to bust status.

It was a stark contrast to Seattle star Jaxson Smith-Njigba, who dominated in all the big moments, scored three touchdowns and delivered a goldmine of points for grateful fantasy owners.

And following a dispiriting 31-7 loss, the Cardinals have now dropped 10 consecutive games to their rivals from the Pacific Northwest.

“Weird one,” Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur said after the game. “Tough one.”

It’s not all bad. The Cardinals are 1-1 after two weeks, and their competitive spirit is encouraging. Their defense is defying critics who thought they would rank among the worst in the NFL. On Sunday, they produced a dramatic goal-line stand and held the Seahawks to seven points in the first half.

But as the offense continued to sputter, the field began to tilt. Midway through the fourth quarter, Cardinals fans began streaming for the exits, leaving their stadium in the hands of the 12s, who were once again celebrating a routine win over Arizona in Glendale. And when it was over, Seattle had clearly illustrated the difference between the two teams, even with a backup quarterback.

“When you play the best defense in ball, you have to do all the little things right,” LaFleur said. “And we did not today.”

LaFleur was right about one thing. Following his team’s surprise victory against the Chargers, he noted that humility is only a day away in the NFL.

That day arrived on Sunday.

Reach Bickley at dbickley@arizonasports.com. Listen to Bickley & Marotta weekdays from 6 a.m. – 10 a.m. on Arizona Sports 98.7.

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