THE STORY: The Cardinals promised they would get the ball to Marvin Harrison Jr. Sunday. And oh yes, they did.
But to say that was the totality of a 41-10 demolishing of the Los Angeles Rams at State Farm Stadium in the home opener would be woefully in error. Not when Kyler Murray played one of the most efficient games of his career in slicing up the Rams with his arm and his legs, not when the running game had 231 yards, not when the defense dominated as Dennis Gardeck collected a career-best three sacks.
But it started with Harrison. He had four catches, all in the first quarter, for 130 yards. He had his first two NFL touchdowns, 23 and 60 yards, each spectacular in their own way -- the first a toe-tapping thing of beauty, the second a perfect play-action with Harrison diving head-long at the goal line to ensure a score.
It was a long way from the one-catch debut Harrison had last week in Buffalo.
"Marv gave us work out there," Murray said.
The first play of the game went to Harrison. It was incomplete. But that first drive ended with a catch, the 23-yarder that left Harrison smiling after the score and sent the Cardinals (1-1) toward a 489-yard day as an offense.
Targeting Harrison immediately? "You guys are going to think I'm a liar," coach Jonathan Gannon said, "but the ball went where it should go."
That was clear on the second TD, a play-action rollout that wasn't intended for Harrison but when the Rams (1-1) decided to leave Harrison uncovered down the field, Murray hit him perfectly in stride.
The rout was a palate-cleanser, the Cardinals' first win over the Rams in their annual meeting in Arizona since the 2014 season. It couldn't have gone any better, even as Gannon – understandably – noted that while his players were dancing in the locker room as he spoke to the media they knew Monday morning was about work and the upcoming game against the Lions.
"It's never perfect, win or loss," guard Will Hernandez said. "Drawing it up, that's the perfect scenario. C'mon, how often do perfect scenarios actually happen? We just have to find a way, and that's what we did."
If Murray plays like he did Sunday, the Cardinals are going to find a way often.
Murray was fantastic, with a perfect passer rating of 158.3, completing 17-of-21 passes for 266 yards, three touchdowns and no turnovers. The QB also had 59 yards rushing on five attempts. He became only the second player in NFL history with at least 250 passing yards, 50 rushing yards and a unbeatable 158.3 passer rating in a game.
The only other was the Bengals' Ken Anderson, who did it in a game in 1974.
"(Kyler) was lights out today," Gannon said. "He's a premium player for a reason."
Murray wasn't making any proclamations afterward, following Gannon's lead. "You expect to play like this when you're prepared," Murray said.
The Rams were beat up, by the second half missing their best two receivers and a couple of offensive linemen, but the Cardinals were overwhelming on defense, sacking Matthew Stafford five times, allowing only 53 yards rushing (a low since Gannon took over) and allowing Murray to build on the lead.
After a week in which the defense couldn't slow Bills quarterback Josh Allen when needed, it was an impressive bounceback performance.
"We know who we are," Gardeck said. "We don't need validation from anybody else."
Now comes a home game against the powerful Lions, who were upset by the Buccaneers on Sunday. The work Gannon alluded to will come fast.
"The secret to these wins, the way you keep them coming, is to pretend you don't have any," Hernandez said. "You put it in your head you have to do it over again. You make sure you know once you have the win, it doesn't matter anymore."
TURNING POINT: In some ways it was Harrison's second touchdown, a backbreaker of how it happened while giving the Cardinals a two-touchdown lead they were unlikely to surrender for a second straight week. But it was the defense's goal line stand at the end of the first half that proved crucial.
The Rams, trailing 24-3, had the ball on fourth down at the Arizona 4 with five seconds left in the quarter. Rams coach Sean McVay chose to go for it and eschew the field-goal try. While there was initially a flag thrown on cornerback Starling Thomas V for pass interference in the end zone – which would have given the Rams a bonus play at the 1 – the officials met and decided there was no foul because the pass was uncatchable out of the end zone.
The Cardinals then drove for a touchdown on the opening drive of the second half, and that was pretty much that.
THE STANDOUTS: There were plenty aside from Harrison and Murray. James Conner ripped off runs of 16 and 13 yards on his first two carries, on his way to a 122-yard game. Safety Budda Baker had a team-best eight tackles, including two for loss. Gardeck was a menace with four tackles for loss and his three sacks, forcing a fumble on one. Tight end Trey McBride quietly had six catches for 67 yards and scored a touchdown when he fell on a Conner fumble in the end zone.
HARRISON LAMENTS THE MISSES: Harrison was excellent, but when he looked at the final box score and saw Murray was 17-of-21 passing – and realized all four incompletions targeted Harrison – he could only shake his head.
"We've got to get that fixed," Harrison said. "We'll continue to build our chemistry."
Two of the incompletions were tries to get Harrison a third touchdown, both from the 5-yard line at different points in the game but the two couldn't connect on a back-shoulder fade in one-on-one coverage.
KUPP DOWN, CARDINALS OK: The Rams, who were missing starting wide receiver Puka Nacua already, lost star wideout Cooper Kupp at the end of the first half with an ankle injury. Gannon said the Cardinals came out of the game fairly clean on injuries, other than "a few bumps and bruises."
