Five Overreactions After Cardinals Loss to Bills

After the tough loss today, fans are bound to overreact a bit - so what are the overreactions from the game and what are actual concerns?

Sep 8, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills cornerback Ja'Marcus Ingram (46) breaks up a pass intended for Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Greg Dortch (4) on fourth down to effectively end the game at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

The Arizona Cardinals' Week 1 loss was a tough one, and many fans will likely take this game hard - it was a winnable game that in the end turned into a loss.

When those types of games happen, there can be some thoughts fans have or things on social media that are said that are simply untrue - and other things that are a sign of things to come.

Let's dive into five such thoughts after the Cardinals 34-28 loss to the Buffalo Bills:

1. Marvin Harrison was a Poor Choice at Number 4

Verdict: Overreaction

So maybe no one is saying this anywhere per se, as Harrison Jr. was in many folks' minds as the best receiver from this draft class. And his debut was highly underwhelming, as he has just 1 catch for 4 yards (though some of that was not his fault as he was wide open on the possible game winning drive and Kyler Murray did not see him).

Does this mean he was not a good fit for Arizona or not worth the number 4 overall pick? Absolutely not. Whether it was the lack of preseason play, the windy conditions, the matchups Murray saw, or Kyler's lack of familiarity with him, Harrison was just targeted twice all game long (and the other one could be considered a drop).

Harrison Jr dominated at Ohio State, and will have some big games coming up soon. Not everyone can have Anquan Boldin's debut in 2003.

Sep 8, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) throws the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the first half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

2. Kyler Still Has Trouble Throwing...and Seeing Downfield

Verdict: A mild concern

The windy conditions likely caused some of Murray's tendency to throw short today, along with no preseason time, and losing a starting tackle early in Jonah Williams.

Does this excuse a couple of the sacks he took, the fumble, and the missed read of the wide open Marvin Harrison? While no quarterback is perfect, the answer is no. The Bills knew how to pressure Murray - right up the middle.

A couple of instances, Murray handled it well, rolling out of the pocket for long runs or finding an open receiver. Other times, disaster happened in the form of a missed receiver, a fumble or a sack.

It's something that Drew Petzing will have to figure out how to help Kyler with throughout the season. It is perhaps not the biggest issue (this is why Aaron Donald caused so many issues for example), but one that will continue to cause Murray and the Cardinals offense issues if not dealt with properly.

Sep 8, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) is tackled by Arizona Cardinals cornerback Kei'Trel Clark (13) in the second quarter at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images / Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

3. The pass rush is awful

Verdict: A major concern

We will get to the defense as a whole momentarily, but the pass rush was considered a major concern coming into this year. Then, BJ Ojulari got injured and so did Darius Robinson.

Sunday showed the fruits of the concerns most fans had, as there was only one sack of Josh Allen (the strip sack by Roy Lopez - there was another counted one but that seems a bit dubious from Kei'Trel Clark - though a great tackle). Were there pressures? Yes - though only one notable one from a true "pass rusher" - the poorly called roughing the passer on Zaven Collins.

Otherwise? There was little disruption - apart from a near sack from Owen Pappoe - on Allen. He was able to throw from a clean pocket the whole game, and one would have to wonder if there were not windy conditions and the Cardinals offense had not done so well in the first half just how many yards Allen would throw for on the day.

It continues to be a major concern for Jonathan Gannon and company and if they cannot find a way to create pressure next week versus Matthew Stafford, it could be a long day.

Sep 8, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) leaps over Arizona Cardinals safety Budda Baker (3) and scores a touchdown during the second half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

4. The defense is the worst in the league

Verdict: Overreaction

This may seem contradictory to the above concern, but hear me out - Allen is a top five quarterback in most experts and fans opinions, that I think gives most defenses in the NFL fits.

The run defense, though gashed at times for 130 yards, gave up just 3.9 yards per carry. Allen actually only had 222 yards through the air.

Are they a top 15 defense? By no means. Are they the worst in the league? Time will tell but week one is a bit early to make this kind of claim anyway.

I think there's a few defenses that did much worse and had better matchups (Carolina and Washington come to mind) than Arizona did against Josh Allen, even with a new receiving corp. Let's revisit this about 5 games into the season though and see if there's any improvement.

Are there still major concerns outside the pass rush? Yes - they need a cornerback to step up and be a true corner, they need better play from their offseason additions Bilal Nichols and Justin Jones, and they need to figure out how to get more consistent stops.

But Josh Allen does this to most teams in the NFL. So let's take a bit of pressure off.

Sep 8, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman (0) reacts to making a catch against the Arizona Cardinals during the second half at Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

5. The Cardinals Will Be Picking Top 5 Again In The 2025 NFL Draft

Verdict: Overreaction

This loss sure does sting, but I think if you told even confident Cardinals fans they would have a solid oppotunity to beat the Bills they'd be happy. It's one game, there's 16 more - let's see how the next few games - even several - unfold before making this kind of judgment.

It's a hard loss to swallow, but if anything it proves that Arizona is ready to be even more competitive than last season.