Why was Marvin Harrison Jr. a nonfactor in Cardinals’ loss to Bills?

Arizona Cardinals rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.’s long-awaited NFL debut didn’t live up to the hype in Sunday’s 34-28 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Instead of leading Arizona’s pass catchers after four quarters in Buffalo, Harrison found himself at the bottom of the stat sheet with just one catch for four yards.

Even more glaring than his output were the limited targets (three) that went his way. He did not see a pass go his way in the second half and didn’t help his stat line with an uncharacteristic drop early on.

So, what gives?

For one, the Bills weren’t taking any chances with the young pro, scheming up a defense to better limit Harrison’s big-play ability.

“They were clouding him,” head coach Jonathan Gannon told Paul Calvisi postgame. “When they were playing shell, they were playing forms of cloud to him, two-man to him, swiping to him. Credit to Buffalo there.

“They obviously were trying to take him away,” Gannon added while talking to reporters. “But we had a bunch of guys catch balls, so that’s how our offense is gonna be built. The ball should go where it should go depending on the coverage.”

That’s not to say there weren’t opportunities for Harrison to leave his mark on the game, especially late with the game on the line.

Down 34-28 on Buffalo’s 39-yard line with 1:10 left to play, Harrison had nothing but green grass and the end zone in his vicinity.

Wide open is an understatement.

Marvin Harrison Jr. was so wide open for a game-winning touchdown CBS couldn’t even fit a Bills defender in the frame

(Kyler Murray did not throw to him) pic.twitter.com/77hEMZYzwD

— Christian D’Andrea (@TrainIsland) September 8, 2024

But instead of walking in for a potentially game-winning touchdown, all the rookie could do was watch quarterback Kyler Murray find Greg Dortch for a seven-yard gain.

Yes, a first down was picked up, but it could have been so much more if Murray — who was avoiding pressure throughout the play — had seen his No. 1 option down the field.

“When you play football, there’s a lot of stuff moving around, you’re moving fast. You don’t see everything,” Murray told reporters postgame.

“I wouldn’t say (the Bills) were taking him away,” the signal caller added when talking about Harrison’s lack of production. “As a quarterback going through your reads, sometimes the ball goes to him. It’s not my job. Obviously, I have a sense and a feel for the guys when they aren’t getting the ball and when they are getting the ball, but I leave that up to (offensive coordinator Drew Petzing). He tells me, ‘Don’t worry about that type of stuff. Just keep playing your game and get the ball where it’s supposed to go.'”

Whatever the reasoning may be, not getting your premier pass catcher involved on a consistent basis — whether you’re the quarterback or the coordinator — cannot happen moving forward. Sunday must be the floor for Harrison in 2024.

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