Wants vs Reality for Arizona Cardinals in Week 3

For the fanbase of a team that is currently unbeaten, supporters of the Arizona Cardinals have had a lot to say about how the squad has looked so far in two games.

Preseason expectations looked to the road match with the New Orleans Saints and the home opener against the Carolina Panthers as chances for the offense to completely dominate lower-tier opponents and get the season off on the right track.

The Cardinals did win both of those games and points were certainly scored, 47 to be exact, which is enough to ranked 11th in the NFL in scoring offense. However, watching the games left something to be desired and fans have been quick to lay the blame on a unit headed by offensive coordinator Drew Petzing that doesn't seem to allow for much in the way of explosive passing.

Much ink has been spilled this week about the usage of the 2024 No. 4 overall pick Marvin Harrison, Jr. He was only targeted five times and caught only two passes for a disappointing 27 yards. Not great numbers for such a high draft pick and the clear-cut WR1.

Petzing and head coach Jonathan Gannon both came under heat for Harrison, Jr.'s usage problems and both acknowledged that they needed to find ways to get the ball into his hands more regularly.

Additional attention has also been brought to the Cardinals' lackluster running game, its bread and butter just a season ago. James Conner hasn't surpassed 50 rushing yards in a game this season and the offensive line has visibly struggled to open up running lanes.

On the defensive side, some fans have been upset with what they see as lack of production.

It is true that a significant amount of money was invested in the defense this offseason and the team has only managed four sacks against two less-than-stellar offensive lines.

That being said, it seemed the defensive philosophy of the past two games centered more around containing running backs and quarterbacks than pinning the ears back and going full speed.

An important divisional game in Week 3 against the San Francisco 49ers will pit the Cardinals against a team dealing with its own slew of injuries but also sitting at 2-0. Fans want more, but what are some realistic expectations for this NFC West showdown?

Arizona Cardinals' Wants vs Reality vs 49ers

Want: Kyler Murray to surpass 300 passing yards and 3 touchdowns

Reality: Murray has another efficient game and ends with 200+ passing yards and a touchdown

Other than an unfortunate interception in Week Two, Murray had another efficient outing, completing 68% of his passes and finishing with a 90+ passer rating.

The reality is that Murray has been doing the job given to him in this Petzing offense and doing it rather well. Yes, it lacks a lot of the sparkle of what he looked like at times in a much more free-flowing Kingsbury offense but that doesn't mean that he has been playing poorly.

He still has the elusive ability that can get him out of sticky situations and a top ten completion rate on his passes. This game will likely be another one where he shows up and does his job but without the flash of 2021.

Want: James Conner to get 20+ carries and go over 100 rushing yards

Reality: Conner gets 12-15 carries and roughly 70 rushing yards

The Petzing offense truly lives and dies in the run game and, unfortunately, that element of the offense has not looked up to snuff in the first two outings of 2025.

That fault does not lie with Conner necessarily, but it has been visibly clear that something is off with the Cardinals' offensive line. Holes are not opening and the interior line in particular has been grading very poorly in run blocking. Klayton Adams, last year's offensive line coach, is now with the Dallas Cowboys so perhaps this is a result of a coaching change and will take time to adjust.

In the meantime, don't expect a massive Conner or Trey Benson game until the offensive line improves its run blocking. This will be the true limiting factor of the Cardinals' offense if it is not fixed soon.

Want: Marvin Harrison Jr. gets 10 receptions for 120+ yards and 2 touchdowns

Reality: Harrison Jr. gets 6 receptions for 80 yards and 1 touchdown

It has been a simmering point of contention in the fanbase since last season, but the coaching staff finally had to address the usage of Harrison Jr. to the media after the high draft pick only saw five targets and managed just 27 yards against the Panthers.

Now that it has become a media talking point, it seems likely that the game plan and, particularly the opening game script, will include the young Ohio State product more than usual.

And while he may get more targets on Sunday in Santa Clara, Harrison Jr. still has to live up to his side of the bargain and catch more of the balls thrown to him. Much was made of his lower-than-expected numbers in his rookie season, but he was targeted 116 times with only 62 receptions.

A catch rate of 53.4% might have been acceptable for a rookie adjusting to the league, but that is no longer the case for a second year player who was touted as "generational" during his draft process last year.

Arizona Cardinals defensive lineman Calais Campbell (93) is introduced before their game against the Carolina Panthers at State Farm Stadium on Sept 14, 2025. | Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Want: Cardinals to record five sacks as a team

Reality: Cardinals will sack the 49ers quarterback 2-3 times and slightly increase their blitz rate

A lot of money was poured into the Cardinals' front seven this offseason and fans wanted that investment to manifest in gaudy sack numbers. That has not been the case so far in 2025.

Part of that should be attributed to a fairly soft approach in the first two weeks that saw the Cardinals blitz at the fourth lowest rate in the league. Just bringing four or fewer rushers on 85% of defensive downs, Rallis has so far not dialed up pressure in a significant way.

The 49ers represent a different tier of talent than the Cardinals have faced so far, so it is realistic to expect that Rallis and Gannon will adjust their defensive style to match the potential dangers of a Shanahan-coached offense.

This may not result in a huge increase of sacks, but the Cardinals have had several efficient players like Baron Browning and Jordan Burch who have not been finishing all of their snaps with the quarterback on the ground but have been effecting him in other ways.