The most disappointing rookie performance of Week 1 arguably came from Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. Touted as one of the greatest receiver prospects in recent memory, expectations were high, perhaps unrealistically high, for his debut. Despite his Cardinals scoring 28 points, Harrison Jr. was limited to one catch for four yards.
Starting quarterback Kyler Murray said it's "not his job" to force-feed Harrison Jr. targets after the game. The social media frenzy jumped straight into panic mode. Murray can say what he likes, but the Cardinals must get Harrison Jr. more involved versus the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2.
The analytics don't indicate anything overly concerning regarding Harrison Jr.'s play. The former Ohio State standout created 3.06 yards of separation on his targets, according to Next Gen Stats. The league average was 2.96 yards, so Harrison Jr. created more separation than your average pass-catcher in Week 1 at the time of targeted throws.
It's worth noting those separation metrics don't take into account plays that Harrison Jr. *wasn't targeted* on. Combing through the tape definitely indicates there were some missed opportunities, none worse than this rep below. Murray missed a potentially game-winning touchdown to Harrison Jr. late in the fourth quarter.
Marvin Harrison Jr. could've scored the 39-yard game-winning TD for 10.4 fantasy points if Kyler Murray had seen him here 🫣 pic.twitter.com/kDkU8c0ZDy
— Yahoo Fantasy Sports (@YahooFantasy) September 8, 2024
It may not be Murray's job to force-feed targets to receivers for the sake of his fantasy team, but it's certainly his job to locate wide-open receivers with as much separation as Harrison Jr. created there.
Despite the 28 points, Murray wasn't extraordinary against the Bills. He completed 21-of-31 passing attempts for 162 yards and one touchdown. His average completed air yards was just 3.0, the sixth-worst mark of any starting QB in Week 1, per NGS. Murray's Expected Points Added (EPA) was a solid 0.17, with a total EPA of 6.8, and a below-average aDoT (depth of target) of 6.4, via RBSDM. It was game-management stuff.
Murray should play a more aggressive game versus the Rams, which could lead to more opportunities for Harrison Jr., who was targeted just three times. Harrison Jr. ranked fourth in targets, by the way, trailing Trey McBride (9), Greg Dortch (8), and James Conner (4). Dortch is a manufactured touch merchant and Conner is obviously a check-down option. That explains Murray's 26th-ranked 5.2 yards per attempt heading into Week 2.
The Rams fielded a below-average pass defense in Week 1, allowing a 13th-worst 200 net passing yards against the Detroit Lions in Week 1. Sean McVay's defense is dealing with some injuries in the secondary and is relying on a combination of older vets like Tre'Davious White and ascending talents like Cobie Durant and Quentin Lake. Harrison Jr. should make some plays against a questionable secondary.
Harrison Jr.'s debut was more of a whimper than a bang. Murray missed some opportunities for big-time connections with his first-year playmaker and also fell in love with check-downs around the line of scrimmage. Three targets can’t happen again. The Cardinals need to make getting Harrison Jr. involved a priority.
