Three games into the regular season, the Arizona Cardinals are looking like the team many expected to see this fall.
They’re often exciting on offense and have improved on defense. Kyler Murray usually plays well as the quarterback, and rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. shows potential to be a star.
However, it’s still not enough to elevate the Cardinals into the top tier of the NFL, at least for now.
Arizona (1-2) just lost 20-13 to Detroit on Sunday. Since the Lions are seen as a Super Bowl contender, there’s no shame in losing such a close game. The same can be said for their opening loss to the Buffalo Bills, who have been a strong playoff team in recent years.
But a loss is still a loss, and the Cardinals have had many of them in the past few years after back-to-back 4-13 seasons.
Despite this, Murray is staying positive.
“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 good moments from Sunday’s game. The connection between Murray and Harrison led to their third touchdown in two games, and the rookie had five catches for 64 yards. Dennis Gardeck made an interception and had another strong performance, following his three sacks against the Los Angeles Rams the week before. The defense also kept Detroit from scoring in the second half.
However, big offensive plays were tough to come by. The Lions held the Cardinals to just 277 total 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.”
