Sports Illustrated writer Conor Orr, in an article titled “100 Bold Predictions for the 2025 NFL Season” had several bold ones involving the Cardinals.
One that caught our eye was Orr’s No. 25: Marvin Harrison Jr. and James Conner will combine for more than 20 touchdowns
“Opening the season with an incredibly fortuitous slate against New Orleans and Carolina, the Cardinals will pick apart the lesser defenses on their schedule but struggle overall,” Orr wrote.
“Harrison will amass 11 touchdowns while Conner, in his age-30 season, will log 12, including three in a Week 5 game against the Titans that will be remembered by almost no human.”
OK, then. Predictions are fun to write, and even more fun to monitor over a season. Some are designed as clickbait, although at No. 25, Orr’s prediction about Harrison Jr. and Conner was deep down inside the article. Sometimes, they even are “bold.”
Not sure this prediction about the Cardinals would be classified as “bold.” Maybe a little courageous, right?
Analyst predicts big stats for James Conner and Marvin Harrison Jr.
Can Arizona’s offensive duo live up to these expectations?
Based on past performance, the Cardinals will need to step it up — on offense and defense.
Conner had nine touchdowns, eight on the ground and one receiving in 2024. Harrison had eight touchdowns, all on receptions. That’s 17 combined touchdowns, four short of “more than 20 touchdowns.”
Over his eight-year career, Conner has scored 59 rushing touchdowns, an average of 7.3 TDs per season. He has 11 touchdown passes, an average of 1.37 touchdowns per season.
Conner’s average number of touchdowns per season is 8.6, less than the 12 Orr is predicting.
As a rookie in 2024, Harrison had eight touchdown receptions — three short of Orr’s prediction for 2025. If Harrison has indeed bulked up, he might be more effective at catching the one-on-one balls in the red zone.
Orr must be counting on an upgraded Arizona offense led by quarterback Kyler Murray. If Murray’s numbers improve and the Cardinals drive the ball more times than 2024, Conner and Harrison might be in position to score more touchdowns.
Last season, the Cardinals ranked fourth with 6.4 plays per drive. But the Cardinals ranked last in the NFL with 168 drives, on which they averaged 2.32 points per drive, ninth in the league.
The Cardinals invested heavily on defense in the offseason and in the draft. The return on investment could very well be more possessions for the Arizona offense.
Arizona’s offense was ranked 12th in the NFL and 12th in points per game with 23.5.
Can Harrison and Conner score more than 20 touchdowns? It's possible, maybe even likely. But, it will take a team effort, not individual ones.