When you are a pass catcher and not catching passes, it leaves a mark.
"I'm not satisfied at all having three catches for, what, 20 or whatever yards," wide receiver Michael Wilson said. "It definitely hurts my soul. It kind of keeps me awake at night, not feeling like I'm able to produce at a high enough level to help our team win games."
The conversation around the Cardinals' offense and its need to improve has many facets. At wide receiver, Marvin Harrison Jr. is going to be at the forefront of the discussion, and that makes sense. Harrison said something similar if not as eloquent as Wilson after the game in San Francisco (Harrison was not available this week to talk.)
There is little question the Cardinals need to run the ball better – Jonathan Gannon said this week of the Cardinals' 24 called runs against the 49ers, 17 were deemed inefficient – and that gets harder without the injured James Conner. Trey Benson gets his chance, but the overall execution of running plays isn't where it should be.
But this passage isn't about the running game. It's about a passing game that needs guys like Harrison and Wilson (although Zay Jones will miss this game with a concussion.) The Cardinals need wide receivers. Currently, the Cardinals throw to their wide receivers less as a percentage than any team in the league.
Tight end Trey McBride remains a mega-weapon, but the Cardinals need Harrison, who had a couple of drops last week, in particular.
"I'm trying to build confidence each and every day and continue to give my guys opportunities when they're there," quarterback Kyler Murray said. "And I'm going to continue to do that. Obviously, (offensive coordinator) Drew (Petzing) makes the calls and then we have to go out there and execute, but whenever the opportunity presents itself or the chances are there, I'm definitely going to give my guys opportunities."
This season, in three games, Harrison has 10 catches for 142 yards. Wilson is at 3 for 21, Greg Dortch 4 for 12, and Jones 3 for 29.
"When you're playing well, you putting up yards and getting catches, that does boost your confidence," Wilson said. "Now it comes back to internally, when things aren't going as well, how confident are you in your ability when it's not showing up on the stat sheet? That's rooted in the work. You have to double down in the process."
-- Thursday games used to be a regular thing. But the Cardinals haven't played on Thursday night since 2022, now that the NFL discarded the idea that every team needs a Thursday game. In the Kyler Murray era, the Cardinals have played on Thursday four times. A home loss to the 49ers when Murray was a rookie in 2019, a road loss in Seattle in front of an empty stadium in 2020 (night games, fans? Eerie as hell.) The infamous home loss to the Packers in 2021, killing the Cardinals' undefeated start. And then the infamous Marco Wilson TD flip gif game win at home against the Saints in 2022.
-- This will be the first Rivalry game for the Cardinals, where they wear their new uniforms for the first and only time this season. (They will wear them for a home game in 2026 and 2027 as well.) I'm a fan; I have been since I first saw them this summer.
-- The Cardinals are up to 23 passes defensed this season. That is second in the league to only Jacksonville (27) and it goes to the effort the front office has made to upgrade the secondary. (And to the DBs who have said repeatedly that their goal was to get their hands on more "footballs," as Budda Baker stressed in training camp.)
For comparison, the Cardinals only had 63 passes defensed all of 2024. If their rate holds up, they would more than double that this season.
"We're going to make it an emphasis every week to get the ball," cornerback Max Melton said. "You're going to see us get our hands on the ball. We've just got to take it away."
-- The Seahawks' defensive line is a good one. But whomever ends up having the block Leonard Williams – Isaiah Adams? – he cannot let Williams wreck the game. Williams has replaced the retired Aaron Donald as the interior beast of the NFC West.
-- We made a lot of Calais Campbell surpassing Larry Fitzgerald on the all-time games played list a couple weeks ago, but long snapper Aaron Brewer hits a milestone of his own against the Seahawks with his 200th career game. Brewer, who has been with the Cardinals since 2016, will have played 136 of those in Arizona.
-- Speaking of Larry Fitzgerald, he was officially named one of the 128 modern day finalists for the 2026 Hall of Fame class. I know – shocker. But it's a necessary step. For a guy who has an excellent chance of actually being in the 2026 class, this is just one step.
-- After the Seahawks game, all the players on PUP/IR when the season started are eligible to return next week. That doesn't mean they will have their practice windows open, but it is possible. Among those who can: DL Walter Nolen III, OLB BJ Ojulari, DL Justin Jones, DL Bilal Nichols.
-- From the NFL: Since 2002 (when the Cardinals joined the NFC West and the league realigned), teams that start 0-2 within their division have a 9.6 percent chance to make the playoffs. Both the Cardinals and Seahawks are trying to avoid such a situation.
-- If you are going to the game, please give yourself plenty of time to arrive. Traffic won't be great given that it is a Thursday afternoon, and there are some cool game presentation things planned in the half hour before kickoff.
-- The last word goes to Benson, who said he talked to the scooter-aided Conner Tuesday. Conner wasn't down but instead kept telling Benson how excited he was for Benson's opportunity.
"I almost saw him jump up, and he can't even jump right now."
See you Thursday night.
