Tristan H. Cockcroft encourages managers to maintain their confidence in Marvin Harrison Jr., despite his slow start in the NFL, suggesting he has the potential to shine in future games.
In a dramatic NFL season opener at Orchard Park, New York, the Arizona Cardinals took an early lead against the Buffalo Bills, with running back James Conner scoring in the second quarter to put the Cardinals ahead 17-3. The sizable crowd of 70,542 at the Bills’ home stadium fell quiet as the Cardinals executed an effective offensive strategy in their opening drives.
However, the Bills responded after halftime, leveling the score at 17-17 before ultimately defeating Arizona 34-28. Quarterback Kyler Murray demonstrated his capabilities, completing 16 of 19 passes to seven different receivers for 130 yards and a touchdown in the first half. He, along with running backs Conner and Trey Benson, effectively moved the ball, accumulating 59 yards on 16 rush attempts. This performance comes after Murray spent the offseason adapting to offensive coordinator Drew Petzing’s scheme following an ACL injury that sidelined him for the previous season.
Wide receiver Michael Wilson noted the importance of their offense maintaining momentum, emphasizing the significance of their strong start. Wilson scored Arizona’s first touchdown of the season, marking the first time the team had scored on its opening drive since 2015, and the first time on the road since 2003. Murray echoed this sentiment, highlighting the need to stay on schedule to avoid negative plays that can disrupt offensive flow.
Arizona dominated ball possession during the first half, holding the ball for over 20 minutes compared to the Bills’ nearly 10 minutes. Head coach Jonathan Gannon mentioned that they began aggressively with Conner due to Buffalo’s defensive alignment, which allowed Arizona to gain substantial yardage early on. Conner finished with 50 yards and a touchdown from 16 carries, also contributing 33 yards on three receptions.
Despite the early success, the Cardinals faced challenges later in the game. Murray’s performance suffered, as he averaged only 2.9 air yards per completion and failed to connect on any passes thrown 10 yards or more downfield. This lack of explosive plays contributed to the Cardinals’ struggles in the second half, where they managed just three points and 80 total yards as the Bills mounted their comeback.
Notably, first-round draft pick Marvin Harrison Jr. had a minimal impact during the game, recording only one reception for four yards on three targets, marking the lowest debut receiving yards for a top-five pick since 1992. However, Murray maintained that the distribution of the ball was in line with the game’s natural flow, suggesting that the lack of targets for Harrison was not due to an intention to overlook him.
Harrison was active, participating in 54 of 60 offensive snaps and running the most routes among Cardinals, though he faced significant defensive attention. Gannon confirmed that Buffalo’s defensive strategy focused on limiting Harrison’s involvement. Despite this, Murray remains optimistic about their future chemistry, emphasizing that their connection will improve as they continue to play together.