Marvin Harrison Jr. has spent three weeks running deep routes that rarely end with the ball in his hands. The Arizona Cardinals receiver expects that to change Sunday against the New York Giants, and an offense short on big plays needs him to be right.
Harrison said this week he expects New York to play more man coverage at the line of scrimmage, according to ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss. The Cardinals have faced the highest rate of Cover 2 and zone in the league through three games, Weinfuss reported, and quarterback Jacoby Brissett said those looks have also disrupted the offense’s timing.
The Giants play far more man coverage than Arizona has seen.
The numbers support his read. New York has played man coverage 21.3 percent of the time, the ninth-highest rate in the NFL, according to Sharp Football Analysis. Arizona’s first three opponents all sit near the bottom of that list: the Chargers at 11.3 percent, the 49ers at 9.8 percent and the Seahawks at 5 percent, the second-lowest figure in the league.
All that zone has kept the ball short. Brissett is averaging 5.6 yards per attempt on 117 throws, and the Cardinals have two completions of 20 or more yards, both in Week 1 against the Chargers. “In the pass game, it’s a real thing right now,” coach Mike LaFleur said, via the team’s website. “We’re three weeks in and we haven’t been extremely explosive.”
Harrison has felt it more than anyone. He has four catches for 73 yards, and his 54.1 receiving grade from PFF ranks 79th among 84 qualified wide receivers. His average target has traveled 17.8 yards downfield, so the few chances he gets are low-percentage throws into deep zones. “For my route tree getting down the field, you need a lot of things to go right,” Harrison said earlier this season, according to NFL.com.
Man coverage carries its own risk. Giants safety Jevon Holland has three interceptions, tied for the league lead. New York will also be without edge rusher Brian Burns, who is out for the season with a torn ACL. Kickoff at MetLife Stadium is 1 p.m. ET on CBS.
