A pivotal deep pass from Kyler Murray to Marvin Harrison Jr. early in the second quarter of the Arizona Cardinals’ 20-13 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday symbolized a breakthrough for the duo. The connection was a culmination of an offseason focused on developing their chemistry, a topic of constant discussion heading into the season.
That successful deep ball signified to many, including the players themselves, that their hard work had paid off.
“I think that’s always the biggest story between us is being able to connect on those deep balls,” Harrison said. “All offseason I’ve been trying to tell him, just put some air on it. I think he put some air on it and I [went and] made a play there.”
Murray acknowledged that such a play likely wouldn’t have been completed last year, crediting the progress to subtle but significant improvements from their offseason work. He praised his receiver’s performance, which included five catches for 71 yards and a touchdown.
“He played his ass off [Sunday],” Murray said. “I could feel the confidence. I could feel the progression in his mindset, in his game… You can just tell you’re just watching him move, his mannerisms, all of it. I’ve been around him for two years now, so you may not see it, but I see it.”
While the connection was promising, the coaching staff remains focused on seeing more consistency. Head coach Jonathan Gannon stated that one game was not enough to fully evaluate the pairing’s improvement. “We have to keep doing a good job with it, but I liked where it was at,” Gannon said. “Obviously, efficient, productive and explosive.”
Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing echoed that sentiment, noting that the connection will be evaluated on a weekly basis throughout the season.
For Gannon, a more impressive play occurred in the fourth quarter on a crucial third-and-11 from the Cardinals’ own 5-yard line. With Arizona holding a 20-10 lead, Murray found Harrison on a quick pass. The receiver powered his way to a 12-yard gain, lowering his shoulder to secure the first down and avoid giving the Saints excellent field position.
“I thought that was a big-time play in the game, but there were other times that Marvin didn’t get the ball that I liked what he was doing,” Gannon said. “You guys know the passing game’s going to go through [Trey McBride] and [Harrison]… with our premier playmakers we need to make sure that’s on point, and I thought it was.”
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