The Arizona Cardinals are once again without Marvin Harrison Jr., who is inactive with a heel injury that he suffered a week prior. Being without their bona fide No. 1 wide receiver is never easy, but the team has seen the resurgence of a former third-round pick.
Harrison missed a pair of games with appendicitis, meaning it was Michael Wilson, a third-year out of Stanford, taking the reins as the team’s first option. To say Wilson didn’t disappoint is an understatement, as he hauled in 25 catches for 303 yards. However, he was unable to find the endzone in either of the two matchups.
Fast-forward to Week 14, where Wilson is now once again serving as the first option on a thin receiving corps. He is already making an impact, as he caught a 19-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Jacoby Brissett, giving Arizona an early 7–0 lead over the 9–3 Los Angeles Rams.
This was never going to be an easy matchup for the Cardinals; in fact, it is quite the opposite. The Rams are coming off their worst loss of the year, where they were upset by the Carolina Panthers at home. Matthew Stafford turned the ball over three times, and it proved to be crucial as the team lost by only a field goal.
It is safe to say that the Rams are playing with a chip on their shoulder, especially Stafford. A team that has a pair of receivers in Davante Adams and Puka Nacua, compared to Arizona, which only has Michael Wilson at receiver, seems unfair. But the way Wilson has made an impact in the first quarter proves you don’t need a super team to compete.
It will be interesting to see how the rest of the game plays out and how Wilson fares the rest of the way.
The Cardinals trail the Rams 10–7 at the end of the first quarter.