Michael Wilson has gone into a game as WR1 before, back in his rookie season. It came in Week 18 of 2023, a game better known for Matt Prater's last-second field goal miss that locked down the Cardinals' No. 4 overall draft spot that led to them drafting … wait for it … Marvin Harrison Jr., their new WR1.
Harrison will miss his first NFL game Sunday against the 49ers, after having his appendix taken out. Wilson is WR1 again.
"I don't want to make it into a bigger deal than it is," Wilson said.
Wilson as the top wideout may not be long term. From a micro-view, it's another chance to show what Wilson has shown over the last month – all those calls that he couldn't be WR2 seem misplaced. Wilson has played well as a pass-catcher; he had already proven over and over his ability as a blocker and a fit in the Cardinals' offense.
Coach Jonathan Gannon noted Wilson has improved his route running as well. "It's showing up."
That cliché of needing to step up when a teammate gets injured? Lots of those opportunities right now. The Cardinals need wins, but they also need to see players who don't always get snaps to show up.
We'll see what that looks like Sunday. Wilson, in that last WR1 role? Six targets. Six catches. 95 yards.
-- The offensive line didn't have its best day last week in Seattle, and change is coming – albeit injury-related. Right tackle Jonah Williams didn't practice all week after suffering a shoulder injury. What will be interesting is who plays right tackle. Kelvin Beachum is next up – although he is questionable with a groin problem. Even if Beachum plays, what do the Cardinals do at tight end? Beachum essentially has played blocking tight end the past two weeks.
-- As for the O-line play of late, the linemen are leaning into the present.
"We're trying to control what we can control right now," left tackle Paris Johnson Jr. said. "I can't go back and meditate and try to eliminate plays with my mind. If I could I would've done that last night on behalf of the O-line. We are focused on how can we grow to move forward. There is a lot of ball left."
Center Hjalte Froholdt wasn't going to compare the current to the past either, noting the unit always has improvements it can make.
"I don't really go in and see what we are compared to whenever," Froholdt said. "I just see what we can do from a week-to-week standpoint on how we can get better from week to week, what didn't work, what did work, what we can get better at. I don't really look too much or too far in the past. I'm a different player than I was last year and the year prior to that and the year prior to that. So what can I do better this week to help the guys win?"
-- Quarterback Jacoby Brissett has thrown eight touchdown passes in his four starts – the most TD passes in a QB's first four starts in franchise history.
-- Brissett's performance on third downs remains good. He has a 127.2 passer rating on such downs, and of his 25 third-down completions, 14 have been for at least 10 yards.
-- Tight end Trey McBride had a hurdle last week. Yes, he continues to say he doesn't want to hurdle. But the one in Seattle came on a fourth down play, and he saw the sticks. "I didn't want to lower my shoulder and go through them, so I went up and over them and it worked out this time."
-- McBride isn't just on a hot streak scoring touchdowns. He is up to 11 straight games with at least five catches in each. The franchise record is 13 by Larry Fitzgerald.
"I didn't even know it was a stat at all until last week when someone told me," McBride said. "I go out, play the best I can, and I am fortunate the ball has found me five-plus times the past few games. That's not always the case. It's hard to get open, takes time and work to get (opportunities), but hopefully I can continue to build that streak and get it to where it is unbreakable."
-- For a second straight game, rookie Cody Simon will call the defensive plays at inside linebacker in place of the injured Mack Wilson Sr. Simon had played three defensive snaps all season before he was forced to play 20 at the end of the Cowboys game following Wilson's injury.
Last week, he played every snap – 61.
"I was anticipating it, the workload, so I was hydrating and everything," Simon said. "I always try to prepare to play that many snaps. I was one play away from playing that many snaps anyway.
"It's challenging but that's what you practice for. That's the job. I've always been the linebacker, and I've always been the guy that talks the most. I almost lose my voice but it's part of the job description."
-- The 49ers will have local prep hero Brock Purdy back at quarterback Sunday. He missed the teams' first meeting with a toe injury. Fellow local prep hero Ricky Pearsall – who lit up the Cardinals with 8 catches for 117 yards – is also back from injury after missing six games.
-- Back to black uniforms Sunday. If you were wondering.
-- The last word goes to Calais Campbell, who is playing his 80th game at State Farm Stadium on Sunday:
"We know when we are playing our best football we can hang with anybody. We can beat anybody. The question is, what brand of football can we deliver on a consistent basis for a 60-minute ballgame? We had a good week of practice, but in this NFL business, it's what have you done for me lately. You have to go out and prove it evert week."
See you Sunday.
