Marvin Harrison Jr.'s first NFL game provided a valuable learning experience, although it fell short of his expectations. "It wasn't great," the wide receiver stated Wednesday after practice. "It wasn't what I wanted to happen," he continued. "It wasn't what the team wanted to happen."
Harrison expressed frustration following his one-catch-for-four-yards debut, particularly feeling he let down his teammates in a 34-28 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Offensive coordinator Drew Petzing acknowledged on Tuesday that better playcalling was needed to leverage Harrison's skills. Quarterback Kyler Murray echoed this sentiment on Wednesday, emphasizing the team's need to involve their rookie wideout more effectively.
"That's why they brought me here," Harrison said. "I've got to get open and catch the ball."
Despite the limited sample size, Harrison remained composed as he reflected on his performance and emphasized looking ahead to the remaining 16 games of the season.
"Nothing changes," Murray remarked. "We have the utmost confidence in what we're capable of.
"I'll never lose confidence in Marv."
Harrison also recognized the adjustment period necessary for transitioning from college football and training camp to regular-season NFL play, which differs significantly even from preseason games where both he and Murray did not get any reps.
The wide receiver admitted that overthinking during plays slowed him down but understood head coach Jonathan Gannon's decision to prioritize player health by limiting preseason exposure.
Nevertheless, Harrison maintained a positive outlook, smiling through his responses and expressing optimism about the team's position moving forward.
"I don't think we're in a bad place right now at all," Harrison concluded.
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