<body><div><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=3Xt7RX_0vXRiKfw00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=3Xt7RX_0vXRiKfw00" width="1920" height="1080" ><p>GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals found the keys to their Maserati and unleashed rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. in their <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/boxscore/_/gameId/401671754">41-10 win over the Los Angeles Rams</a> in an early-season NFC West clash at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Sunday.</p><p>After their Week 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills, <a href="https://www.12news.com/article/sports/nfl/cardinals/fan-reaction-social-media-arizona-kyler-murray-marvin-harrison-jr-mhj-wide-open/75-a24fb0dd-16f7-4c57-bc58-94d8f2a1c62d">the Cardinals were criticized heavily on social media</a> due to Harrison's lack of production (he finished with just one catch for four yards). The team made sure that would not be the case against the Rams in Week 2. </p><p>On Arizona's first drive of the game, quarterback Kyler Murray found the No. 4 overall pick in the back of the endzone for a 23-yard touchdown, the rookie's first in the NFL. </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="548" data-dnt="true" align="center"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">MARVIN HARRISON JR.'S FIRST NFL TOUCHDOWN HAS ARRIVED <a href="https://t.co/EFquDWaM8V">pic.twitter.com/EFquDWaM8V</a></p>— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/AZCardinals/status/1835412472276062573?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2024</a><input type="image" src="empty.gif" style="opacity:0" onerror="s=document.createElement(&quot;script&quot;);s.src=&quot;https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js&quot;;document.body.appendChild(s);"></blockquote><p>"Honestly, I didn't think it was a perfect ball," Murray said. "I think he just, you know, is who he is and was able to get to it. But again, that's the luxury you have when you have a guy like that." </p><p>It wouldn't be long before Harrison would add touchdown No. 2 to his resume.</p><p>After the Cardinals' defense forced a Rams punt, Arizona's very next offensive play saw Murray find "Maserati Marv" once again, this time on a 60-yard pass that Harrison finished by reaching over the goal line while getting tackled for a touchdown that gave the Cardinals a 14-0 lead. </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="548" data-dnt="true" align="center"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Marvin Harrison Jr. we love you <a href="https://t.co/GE6a9vVabw">pic.twitter.com/GE6a9vVabw</a></p>— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/AZCardinals/status/1835415036220870785?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2024</a><input type="image" src="empty.gif" style="opacity:0" onerror="s=document.createElement(&quot;script&quot;);s.src=&quot;https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js&quot;;document.body.appendChild(s);"></blockquote><p>Harrison said he knew as soon as he caught the ball he was going to score. </p><p>"Once I took off, I was getting an end zone for sure," Harrison said. "Now (head coach Jonathan Gannon) always tells us not to reach. So I'm sure he's gonna tell me about that, but, I'm glad I made the play for sure."</p><p>Murray said the second touchdown showcased just how good Harrison already is. </p><p>"It wasn't supposed to be that open. But that was one of those, I mean, kind of just smack you in the face and he's running down, you know, running free and it just might make a play," Murray said. "He made a play and, you know, you score a touchdown, feel good about it." </p><p>Harrison would finish the game with 130 yards and two touchdown catches. Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon said it wasn't the team's plan to get Harrison off to a fast start in this game. </p><p>"Honestly, you guys are gonna think I'm a liar," Gannon said to reporters after the game. "The ball went where it should go, you know what I mean? So they were doing some different things but, you know, we had planned for I wouldn't say, you know, they threw some curveballs too, but I just thought it was a good plan in place and, and (Harrison) got going today." </p><p>Murray added that he's expecting much more from his rookie receiver as the season continues. </p><p>"The more we play together, the more we practice together, we're only gonna get better," Murray said. "We executed well today, obviously it was a couple of throws that I wish I had back. But he had a great game today." </p><p>As for Harrison, he said only having one catch in his NFL debut didn't worry him and that he is more worried about the four incompletions that Murray threw his direction on Sunday. </p><p>"I think you can never get too high. I never get too low," Harrison said. "You just try to approach each game with the same mindset, have the same preparation, same routine. No matter how the results are, obviously, if things are going bad, gotta change some things. But now I think I never had any lack of confidence in myself or the rest of the team, so I continue to get better each every week and you continue to grow." </p><p>Arizona would add to their lead in the second quarter as Murray capped a 99-yard drive by doing what few other quarterbacks can do, evading the Rams' defense with his legs and giving tight end Elijah Higgins enough time to get open for an 18-yard touchdown that pushed the lead to 21-0. </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="548" data-dnt="true" align="center"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">THE MURRAY MAGIC IS STRONG TODAY 🪄 <a href="https://t.co/FYDZCoSRNH">pic.twitter.com/FYDZCoSRNH</a></p>— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/AZCardinals/status/1835420568327512461?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2024</a><input type="image" src="empty.gif" style="opacity:0" onerror="s=document.createElement(&quot;script&quot;);s.src=&quot;https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js&quot;;document.body.appendChild(s);"></blockquote><p>"You feel guys swarming around you trying to make them miss and then you look up and I see Elijah in the back of the endzone. So I had a feeling, I knew once it left my hand, it was a touchdown," Murray said. "It's a good feeling when you're playing that way and you're playing fast and guys are moving around, scramble drill, and being able to do things off schedule because this league, as you see, like every weekend is that as a quarterback, you're gonna have to move, you know. You can't, it's not gonna (be) a clean pocket every time. That's just how this game is." </p><p>It was clear from then that the Cardinals had the upper hand in the 93rd meeting between these franchises.</p><p>Both teams would add a field goal before the game went to halftime with Arizona leading 24-3.</p><p>When the second half started, the story did not change. The Cardinals received the kickoff to start the third quarter, taking a touchback to start art at their own 30-yard line. Arizona would march 70 yards down the field, ending the drive with a five-yard touchdown run from James Conner to take a 31-3 lead. </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="548" data-dnt="true" align="center"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Man, football is fun<br><br><br><br>📺: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LARvsAZ?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LARvsAZ</a> | FOX | <a href="https://twitter.com/JamesConner_?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JamesConner_</a><a href="https://t.co/spjWLGDMpw">pic.twitter.com/spjWLGDMpw</a></p>— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/AZCardinals/status/1835435282310832316?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2024</a><input type="image" src="empty.gif" style="opacity:0" onerror="s=document.createElement(&quot;script&quot;);s.src=&quot;https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js&quot;;document.body.appendChild(s);"></blockquote><p>That lead would get extended to 34-3 on Arizona's next drive thanks to a 57-yard field goal from Matt Prater, which was the 82nd field goal of 50 or more yards in Prater's Hall of Fame career. That is the most ever 50-plus yard field goals by an NFL kicker and it's not close. The kickers closest to Prater on the list are Sebastian Janikowski, who retired in 2018, and Ravens kicker Justin Tucker, who both have 58, according to Cardinals senior vice president of media relations Mark Dalton. </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="548" data-dnt="true" align="center"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">That 57-yard FG gives Matt Prater 82 career FGs of 50+ yards, the most in NFL history.<br><br><br><br>The next closest player has 58. <a href="https://t.co/ME0idMcoTg">pic.twitter.com/ME0idMcoTg</a></p>— Mark Dalton (@CardsMarkD) <a href="https://twitter.com/CardsMarkD/status/1835439044878381430?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2024</a><input type="image" src="empty.gif" style="opacity:0" onerror="s=document.createElement(&quot;script&quot;);s.src=&quot;https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js&quot;;document.body.appendChild(s);"></blockquote><p>The Rams would score their first and only touchdown of the game, a four-yard touchdown run by running back Kyren Williams, on the ensuing drive to cut Arizona's lead to 24 points.</p><p>Arizona's final score would prove that nothing could go wrong on Sunday.</p><p>On the final play of the drive after Williams' touchdown, Conner took a handoff from Murray at the Rams' five-yard line, but fumbled. However, the ball bounced right to tight end Trey McBride, who recovered it in the endzone for a touchdown. </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="548" data-dnt="true" align="center"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">McBRIDE. FUMBLE RECOVERY. TOUCHDOWNNNNNNN <a href="https://t.co/xkgv8NOWEy">pic.twitter.com/xkgv8NOWEy</a></p>— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/AZCardinals/status/1835444366586081691?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2024</a><input type="image" src="empty.gif" style="opacity:0" onerror="s=document.createElement(&quot;script&quot;);s.src=&quot;https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js&quot;;document.body.appendChild(s);"></blockquote><p>The game would end with a final score of 41-10, giving Arizona their first home win over the Rams since Week 10 of the 2014 season, before the Rams moved to Los Angeles.</p><h2>Takeaways from the Cardinals' win</h2><p>This was pure domination on both sides of the ball on Sunday. The Cardinals' offense appeared to love not having face former Ram Aaron Donald and looked just as explosive as fans hoped they could be after drafting Harrison out of Ohio State in April. The Cardinals nearly doubled the Rams in yards (489 for the Cardinals, 245 for the Rams) and Murray, who was taken out of the game with more than eight minutes to go, played one of the best games in his career, recording a perfect passer rating for the first time. Murray is the third Cardinals quarterback since 1960 to finish a game with a perfect passer rating of 158.3. Murray's previous high passer rating was 150.5, which came in Week 9 of the 2020 season in a 34-31 loss to the Miami Dolphins.</p><p>Arizona's defense took advantage of a beat-up Rams offensive line, sacking quarterback Matthew Stafford five times and hitting him nine times.</p><p>Running back James Conner also had a fantastic game with 122 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown. He also passed 5,000 rushing yards in his career on Sunday.</p><p>If this Cardinals team can show up every week, this will be an exciting season to watch.</p><h2>Olympians at State Farm Stadium </h2><p>Fresh off of being crowned the fastest man in the world by winning the men's 100 meters at the Olympics in Paris, US sprinter Noah Lyles came to Arizona to watch Sunday's game and hyped up the crowd at State Farm Stadium. </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="548" data-dnt="true" align="center"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thanks for hyping us up today <a href="https://twitter.com/LylesNoah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LylesNoah</a>!! 🥇🚨 <a href="https://t.co/zTVNRfAvTA">pic.twitter.com/zTVNRfAvTA</a></p>— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/AZCardinals/status/1835433204767220194?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2024</a><input type="image" src="empty.gif" style="opacity:0" onerror="s=document.createElement(&quot;script&quot;);s.src=&quot;https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js&quot;;document.body.appendChild(s);"></blockquote><p>The most decorated Olympian of all time, US swimmer Michael Phelps, was also at State Farm Stadium for Sunday's game. </p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="548" data-dnt="true" align="center"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">A gold medal moment 🥇<a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelPhelps?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MichaelPhelps</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/LylesNoah?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LylesNoah</a> in the house today! <a href="https://t.co/LKLJBHND6u">pic.twitter.com/LKLJBHND6u</a></p>— Arizona Cardinals (@AZCardinals) <a href="https://twitter.com/AZCardinals/status/1835400884437807160?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 15, 2024</a><input type="image" src="empty.gif" style="opacity:0" onerror="s=document.createElement(&quot;script&quot;);s.src=&quot;https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js&quot;;document.body.appendChild(s);"></blockquote><h2>Next up for the Cardinals </h2><p>The Cardinals (1-1) will take on the Detroit Lions (1-1) next Sunday at home. Kickoff is scheduled for 1:25 p.m. </p><h2>Arizona sports </h2><p>The city of Phoenix is home to four major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury and MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks.</p><p>The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale.</p><p>Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.</p><p>The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events every year, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.</p><h2>12Sports on YouTube</h2><p>Get the latest news and stories from 12Sports on the 12News YouTube channel. 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Arizona Cardinals demolish Los Angeles Rams 41-10

GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals found the keys to their Maserati and unleashed rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. in their 41-10 win over the Los Angeles Rams in an early-season NFC West clash at State Farm Stadium in Glendale on Sunday. After their Week 1 loss to...

Arizona Cardinals demolish Los Angeles Rams 41-10

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