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How Marvin Harrison Jr.'s 60-Yard Touchdown Wasn't Meant For No. 18

Rookie, Murray will continue developing chemistry as season progresses

Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. finishes off his 60-yard touchdown catch-and-run Sunday against the Rams.
Wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. finishes off his 60-yard touchdown catch-and-run Sunday against the Rams.

On the FOX broadcast, a baffled Adam Amin blurted out a line that many people were thinking during Sunday's 41-10 victory over the Rams.

"Forget it, Marvin's (Harrison Jr.) down there somewhere," the play-by-play broadcaster said.

The call came with just under four minutes to go in the first half, after Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray bought time scrambling in the pocket -- seven seconds worth -- and found his rookie wide receiver wide open along the Rams sideline for a 32-yard gain.

The genesis of the comment was another big-time play from the drive before, courtesy of the Murray-Harrison connection.

Murray was under center as the Cardinals were in 13 personnel and Harrison was the only wide receiver on the field. Murray took the snap, ran a play-action fake to the left to running back James Conner before rolling towards the Cardinals sideline and found Harrison deep for a 60-yard touchdown that blew the roof off of State Farm Stadium.

The Cardinals have been searching for a consistent deep pass the last couple of seasons, and Sunday -- with the emergence of Harrison -- may have shown the turn. According to Next Gen Stats, Murray had five deep passes (at least 20 air yards) and he completed every one for 156 yards and three touchdowns.

But on the longest play, a 60-yarder which was Murray's longest completion since a Week 2 77-yard touchdown pass to Rondale Moore at home against the Vikings, Harrison wasn't the first target. Or the second. Or at all.

"It wasn't supposed to happen," Murray said. "That was one of those smack-you-in-the-face (plays), and he's running free to make a play. He made a play and scored a touchdown, and I feel good about it."

After the play fake, as Murray rolled right he looked back at tight end Trey McBride, who had leaked out to the left for a potential misdirection throw. But he was immediately swarmed by three Rams defenders, with a fourth, safety Kam Curl, running to help and nearly running into Harrison, who was cutting toward the right with Murray.

"Once Kyler scrambled to the right, I kind of felt that there was going to be nobody deep there, and obviously with Kyler and his ability to extend the play you always have to be ready," Harrison said. "Just get open. Make sure he (Murray) can see you, first and foremost. Get open, find open space, and make yourself available."

Pre-snap is when Harrison realized the defensive scheme was going to give him that opportunity to create some space downfield if Murray was forced out of the pocket. With a huge smile on his face, wide receiver Michael Wilson broke down the play even further.

"(Harrison's) running a keeper cross which is like 10 to 12 yards (but) you're not supposed to get deeper than 10 to 12 yards," Wilson said. "Marvin did a lot of work but that was really an extending of the play and was an off-schedule touchdown. Kyler just made something happen.

"That wasn't even really the route Marvin was supposed to run nor is he really supposed to get the ball on that play. But when Kyler is playing as special as he is, those type of things happen."

Wilson was in the thick of the celebration when his locker mate returned to the sidelines. There was excitement not only because of the dominating performance against a divisional opponent, but because of the adversity the 22-year-old Harrison had faced. Both Harrison and Murray received criticism for not connecting enough against the Bills, in Harrison's NFL debut.

After that outing, Wilson texted his rookie teammate: Bro, you're still the best receiver I've ever seen with my own two eyes, so don't let one game falter your confidence because you don't go fourth overall and win the Biletnikoff (award) if you're not an elite player.

"I feel like that's why we should never overreact over one game," Wilson said. "Sometimes that's the nature of the position. You just don't get the ball a lot."

"Mike, for him to do that, definitely meant a lot to me," Harrison said. "We do everything together. We are always on the JUGS machine. Just finding any way that we can make each other better. Having a teammate like Mike, he's been great, and I couldn't ask for anybody better."

In a game that seemed flawless for the offense, both Murray and Harrison highlighted room for growth. Murray's four incompletions were targeted to No. 18, something the wide receiver said was "unacceptable."

But after Sunday's outing, the two believe a call like Amin's won't come with as much of a surprise. It'll be the norm.

"Develop that chemistry, develop that relationship as we get more game reps, I'm sure it'll come," Harrison said. "It's still only Week Two. We have 15 weeks left, so I'm not worried."

The top images taken by the Cardinals team photographer during the 2024 Week 2 regular season game against Los Angeles, presented by Earnhardt Auto Centers.

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