GLENDALE, Ariz. — On first-and-10 from Arizona’s 40-yard line halfway by the primary quarter on Sunday, Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray rolled proper on a play-action move and scrambled towards the sideline to purchase time. That is when Murray caught a glimpse of Marvin Harrison Jr. streaking towards the purpose line.
The QB hit Harrison in stride, and the rookie receiver prolonged towards the purpose line to finish a spectacular 60-yard landing.
None of it was in response to script.
“That was actually an off-schedule landing and Kyler simply made one thing occur,” Cardinals receiver Michael Wilson mentioned after the sport. “That wasn’t actually the route Marvin was imagined to run, neither is he imagined to get the ball on that play. However when Kyler is taking part in as particular as he’s, these sorts of issues occur.”
In accordance with Wilson, Harrison was working a crossing route that is not imagined to go deeper than 12 yards. However Harrison felt open area deep as a result of Murray received flushed out of the pocket, so he took his route larger for the large play.
“I type of noticed that pre-snap based mostly on the play that we known as,” Harrison mentioned. “I knew I had the over route. And as soon as Kyler scrambled to the fitting, I felt like there was going to be no person deep there.
“Clearly, with Kyler and his capacity to increase the play, you all the time should be prepared and know what you need to do if he scrambles. I simply took it excessive. He had nice imaginative and prescient and noticed me, and we linked on an enormous play there.”
Marvin Harrison Jr. catches back-to-back TDs to provide Cardinals early lead
The landing was an instance of the budding connection between the 27-year-old Murray and the 22-year-old Harrison, which Wilson expects to see develop and blossom over the subsequent decade.
“Kyler is a world-class expertise,” Wilson mentioned. “And No. 18 is a world-class expertise, too. They each have an excellent really feel for the sport. Not solely have they got the tangible stuff, however the intangible stuff which you could’t actually measure. They perceive and have a wherewithal, understanding the best way to create area, create separation. … I believe it is simply the beginning.”
With gifted pass-catching mixtures like Patrick Mahomes to Travis Kelce and Matthew Stafford to Cooper Kupp easing into the again half of their careers, Murray and Harrison Jr. have the potential to become one of the crucial dynamic tandems within the NFL.
After all, these two have a protracted option to go to catch Harrison Jr.’s father, Marvin Harrison Sr., and Peyton Manning, who maintain the NFL report for pass-catching tandems with 112 profession touchdowns.
Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison Sr. linked for 112 profession touchdowns with the Colts, the NFL report for a QB-WR tandem. (Picture by Harry How/Getty Photographs)
Because the begin of the 2021 season, Josh Allen and Stefon Diggs have essentially the most touchdowns (29), adopted by Stafford and Kupp (28), Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase (27) and a tie between Mahomes and Kelce (26) and Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb (26).
Allen and Diggs are not collectively, with the receiver having been traded to the Houston Texans. Kupp is injured once more. Chase is coping with contract points, and Kelce is slowing down as he nears age 35.
So, Murray and Harrison may very well be the subsequent large quarterback-receiver combo. Harrison shortly rebounded from a poor effort in Week 1 by posting one of the crucial dominant performances by a rookie in latest reminiscence, with 4 catches for 130 yards and two scores in a blowout win over the Los Angeles Rams.
Kyler Murray on dominant efficiency vs. Rams: ‘We made them pay’
Harrison Jr.’s 130 yards within the first quarter had been greater than his father had in any sport throughout his rookie season in 1996. Harrison Sr.’s season excessive that 12 months was 106 in Week 15.
“Actually, you guys are going to assume I am a liar, however the ball went the place it ought to go, you recognize what I imply?” head coach Jonathan Gannon mentioned about Harrison’s quick begin. “They had been performing some various things that we had a plan for, I might say. They threw some curveballs, too. I simply thought it was plan in place and 18 received going right now.”
What makes the connection between Murray and Harrison Jr. particular is Murray’s distinctive capacity to play off-schedule and Harrison’s capacity, at 6-foot-4 and 205 kilos, to shortly alter and rise up to hurry.
“We see issues the identical manner,” Murray mentioned. “Clearly, we have got to proceed to get higher collectively. There have been some mishaps there that I believe we each really feel like we could be higher on, particularly myself. However character, and only a love for the sport — I believe these are two elements that simply enable for us to type of be seamless.”
Murray completed 17-of-21 for 266 yards and three touchdowns, with no interceptions for an ideal 158.3 passer ranking. However his solely 4 incompletions had been throws to Harrison Jr., one thing that can function gasoline for the rookie receiver as he prepares to face the Detroit Lions in Week 3.
“4 incompletions for Kyler they usually had been all to me — that is positively unacceptable,” Harrison mentioned. “I’ll proceed to get higher and develop that chemistry, develop that relationship.
“As we get extra sport reps, I am positive it’ll come. It is nonetheless Week 2, we have got 15 extra weeks left, so I am not fearful.”
The remainder of the league, nonetheless, ought to be.
Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for greater than a decade, overlaying the Los Angeles Rams for Sports activities Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma Information Tribune. Comply with him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.
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