By james art ARIZONA — Through the highs and lows of the Arizona Cardinals’ 2024 season, there has been one constant topic of conversation: What’s going on with Marvin Harrison Jr.?
The No. 4 pick was met with overwhelming praise from fans and the organization alike after officially landing in the desert.
With that came high expectations, and while Harrison wasn’t close to bankruptcy, his overall work was unimpressive for a variety of reasons.
“It’s definitely not what I envisioned, but I’m glad we’re 3-4,” Harrison told reporters this week.
“I think we’re not in a terrible position at the moment and we’ve still got a chance to win the division with everything else going on. So keep going, keep getting better every week, that’s all I can do.”
When asked to clarify his first comment, Harrison didn’t want to throw anyone under the bus:
“I don’t know… I don’t know.”
Marvin Harrison Jr. tries to clarify what “he envisioned” for this season compared to what happened. pic.twitter.com/fdSSIuptE6
— PHNX Cardinals (@PHNX_Cardinals) October 24, 2024
The Cardinals struggled to turn Harrison into a consistent impact player for all four quarters of the game. Even in games where he puts up strong numbers, his production comes in spurts, a consistent point discussed by the likes of Jonathan Gannon, Drew Petzing and Kyler Murray.
Arizona’s offense has scored 17 points or fewer in its last four of five games.
“I think we’re only a few plays away [right] there,” Harrison said. “At the end of the day, it comes down to all 11 people doing their jobs at the same time. … I think we’re right there. I think once we get all 11 guys doing their jobs, winning their 1v1s, executing, we can be really explosive.”
On the year, Harrison had 20 receptions for 300 yards and four touchdowns.
Harrison also understands that while he may not physically impact the game through receptions, the attention the defense gives him is noticeable.
“I definitely understand that when the defense is in a two-way position, two defenders playing deep, we can run the ball a little more effectively. Someone else can get a one-on-one if the safety kind of shades my way.. There are definitely different ways I impact the game other than just catching the ball,” Harrison said.
“I think that’s the nature of the game. The respect I guess the defensive coordinators have had for me so far this year with the different coverages and blurring my side.”
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