Arizona Cardinals wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. may have been held to just 166 receiving yards in four games between Week 3 and Week 7, but one NFL insider believes quarterback Kyler Murray never doubted him over the stretch.
"Kyler always trusted him," a Cardinals team source told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "The connection happens organically, so nobody is worried if there's a slow week.
"He understands and has been patient. And then we know he can get going and good things happen."
Harrison made a season-high six catches on seven targets to record 111 receiving yards and a touchdown during Sunday's win over the Miami Dolphins.
Seven targets is a typical number for Harrison, and Cardinals offensive coordinator Drew Petzing told reporters after the game that nothing had changed in the rookie wide receiver's game.
"What kind of excites me about him as a player is that there wasn't anything different," Petzing said about Harrison. "That's the thing. The consistency, really from the moment he's walked in this building, of, trust the process."
But just because the Cardinals gave Harrison a similar number of targets doesn't mean those targets didn't come on a different route tree.
As reported by ESPN's Ben Solak:
The Cardinals finally got clever with Harrison, who ran 40% of his routes from the slot (a single-game high) and was targeted on a crossing pattern for the first time since Week 3. It should not be hard to build a passing game around Harrison, who has only struggled in games in which he has been stuck running vertical routes and comebacks while pinned to the sideline by an unchallenged cornerback.
The Cardinals have allowed 1,127 rushing yards and 1,965 rushing yards, both good for 27th in the NFL, through Week 8. Given their struggles to limit opposing offenses, getting the passing offense clicking with Murray will be key to the 4-4 Cardinals' hopes of clinging on to their narrow lead over the NFC West.
Murray, Harrison and the Cards return home to face the visiting Chicago Bears this weekend. The Cardinals staff could continue improving Murray's passing game by ensuring Harrison has more opportunities to get open at State Farm Stadium on Sunday.
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