Cards competitive against NFL’s better teams, but Arizona is still struggling to join the club

TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) — Three games into the regular season, the Arizona Cardinals look like the team that many expected to see this fall.

They’re often exciting on offense. They’re better on defense. They usually get good quarterback play from Kyler Murray. They’ve got a potential star in rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

And it’s still not quite enough to push the Cardinals into the upper tier of the NFL — at least for the moment.

Arizona (1-2) is coming off a 20-13 loss to the Detroit on Sunday. Since the Lions are considered a Super Bowl contender, there was no shame in what was a very competitive game. The same could be said for their season-opening loss to the Buffalo Bills — who have been a perennial playoff team in recent years.

But losses are losses, and the Cardinals have had a lot of those the past few years following back-to-back 4-13 seasons.

Even so, Murray remains confident.

“I love what we have in the locker room,” Murray said on Sunday. “We just didn’t make enough plays today. I know those plays are out there to be made and we will make them.”

There were some encouraging moments from Sunday. The Murray-to-Harrison connection produced its third touchdown in two games, and the rookie finished with five catches for 64 yards. Dennis Gardeck had an interception, making another big play one week after having three sacks against the Los Angeles Rams. The defense held Detroit scoreless in the second half.

But the big offensive gains were hard to find. The Lions limited the Cardinals to just 277 yards.

“I think we were 1 for 9 on third downs. That’s not good,” Murray said. “That’s not how you beat a playoff team and win those types of games.”

What’s working

Murray has played 11 games since returning from a torn ACL midway through last season and it appears his running ability is as good as ever. He ran for 45 yards on five carries against the Lions and has consistently extended plays this season with his ability to dance around would-be tacklers.

What’s not working

The Cardinals’ running game — outside of those Murray scrambles — didn’t do much against the Lions. James Conner ran for a season-low 17 yards on nine carries and Arizona finished with just 77 yards rushing.

“We knew it was going to be dirty (with) 2, 3 yards but you’re kind of waiting for that one to pop,” coach Jonathan Gannon said. “Hats off to them. They did a good job.”

Stock up

WR Michael Wilson made some tough catches on Sunday, finishing with eight receptions for 64 yards. The second-year receiver caught eight of nine targets from Murray and could continue to have big games with opposing defenses focusing so heavily on Harrison.

Stock down

Rookie RB Trey Benson was expected to make an immediate impact after being drafted in the third round out of Florida State, but he hasn’t done much through three games. He’s run for just 31 yards on 16 carries, averaging 1.9 yards per rush.

Injuries

DT Justin Jones (triceps), RT Jackson Barton (toe) and DT Khyiris Tonga (knee) all left Sunday’s game with injuries. Gannon said all of them were still being evaluated on Monday. TE Trey McBride is in concussion protocol.

Key number

3 — The Cardinals managed just a field goal in the second half despite having seven possessions. Three of the drives ended with a punt, two on downs and one with an interception. Matt Prater’s 45-yard field goal in the fourth quarter produced the only points.

What’s next

The Cardinals play their third straight home game against the Washington Commanders on Sunday. Washington’s offensive coordinator is Kliff Kingsbury, who coached Murray for his first four seasons in the NFL before getting fired in 2022.

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