When Zach Ertz landed on injured reserve last season, Trey McBride played like a seasoned veteran at times. Although the Arizona Cardinals lost yet again, McBride was one of the bright spots on this offense, and this was even before the Ravens fully went into prevent mode.
Overall, the sophomore tight end caught 10 passes on 14 targets, good for 95 yards, and an epic touchdown reception. On his touchdown grab, the Ravens initially looked like they stopped McBride short, so much that they appeared to have driven him backwards. But he powered through and helped the Redbirds make this game more respectable than the final score indicated.
Arizona Cardinals have a pair of solid, young skill position players
Although he headed to the locker room early with an apparent injury, Michael Wilson also made his presence felt, catching four passes on six targets for 58 yards, and 14.5 yards per catch. Wilson had a long of 29 yards in the afternoon, and he continues to make big plays for this young Cardinals team.
While there will be more roster turnover coming to the Cards when the 2023 season ends, Wilson, drafted by the current regime, will be safe. McBride, drafted by former general manager Steve Keim, should be an outlier if general manager Monti Ossenfort continues to expel former Keim guys following the season if not by the trade deadline.
Overall, this game was at least interesting to watch thanks to McBride’s big day, but Michael Wilson also gave fans a reason to believe better days are ahead. Look for McBride to form immediate chemistry with quarterback Kyler Murray and if Wilson is still healthy, he should also be raring to go.
Now sitting at 1-7, the Arizona Cardinals should use the rest of the season to identify more potential playmakers. But they, and the Red Sea, should be rest assured that a pair of them are already gracing the field at State Farm Stadium.
(Statistics provided by ESPN.com)