Kyler trying to keep Harrison’s confidence up: ‘I need him’

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Marvin Harrison Jr. soared above a defensive back, snagged the ball at the high point and pulled it down for a key touchdown in Arizona’s comeback attempt.

The Cardinals’ second-year receiver didn’t celebrate, opting instead to kneel with an arm over the front of his helmet before jogging off the field.

After the first half he had, Harrison seemed more relieved than excited about pulling down a highlight-reel touchdown.

Harrison caught a touchdown pass and had a pair of key catches on Arizona’s final drive, but also bobbled a pass that led to a first-half interception in the Cardinals’ 23-20 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday night.

“I’m not worried about Marv at all,” Cardinals coach Jonathan Gannon said. “He’s going to be just fine. He’s resilient, just as this whole crew is.”

The Cardinals (2-2) will need to be after losing consecutive games on the final play of regulation for the first time since moving to Arizona in 1988, this one from 52 yards by Seattle’s Jason Myers as time expired.

Harrison’s night mirrored Arizona’s.

The Cardinals labored early while falling into a 17-3 by early third quarter. Harrison had a first half to forget, cutting off a route on Kyler Murray’s first interception, bobbling another pass right into the hands of Seattle’s Earnest Jones IV for a second pick.

The online ire toward Harrison rose after the second gaffe and Arizona’s fans let out a sarcastic cheer when the son of Hall of Famer Marvin Harrison hauled in a toe-tapping catch along the sideline in the third quarter.

But as the Cardinals mounted a comeback, Harrison was right in the middle of it.

The 23-year-old showed off his athleticism on the touchdown, rising over cornerback Seattle Devon Witherspoon to pull down the catch along the sideline. Harrison caught two passes on Arizona’s final drive, including an 18-yard, back-shoulder snag that set up Emari Demercardo’s tying 7-yard run with 28 seconds left.

“Marvin is hard on himself, expects so much of himself,” Murray said. “He drops the ball and I’m sure that’s lingering in his mind, but I love the way he fought back.”

The Cardinals used the fourth overall pick of the 2024 draft to select Harrison out of Ohio State, hoping he would become their No. 1 receiver.

Harrison showed flashes of potentially being that guy during his rookie season, catching 62 passes for 885 yards and eight touchdowns. He bulked up during the offseason and so did the expectations.

Harrison had a touchdown catch in Arizona’s opening win at New Orleans, but was limited to two catches for 27 yards the next week against Carolina. He had three catches for 44 yards last week at San Francisco and dropped two passes, including one that would have been a touchdown.

Harrison was dejected following the 16-15 loss and again in the first half against the Seahawks, leading to a pep talk from Murray.

“I need him. He needs me, I need him,” Murray said. “He’s not coming out of the game and I don’t want him to. It’s just a conversation to keep his confidence up.”

The Cardinals need a confident Harrison if they’re going to bounce back from consecutive heartbreaking losses. The finish against the Seahawks may be just what he needed.

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