TEMPE – Arizona Cardinals fans will have to wait at least another week before seeing first-round draft pick and defensive lineman Darius Robinson make his NFL debut.
Although the Cardinals have the opportunity to designate the rookie returning from injured reserve for the first time this season, Arizona will not have his services against the San Francisco 49ers.
For a defense that could desperately use a boost, especially against a San Francisco 49ers rushing attack that is among the best in the league, the waiting game continues painfully.
But for a struggling offense, all signs point to tight end Trey McBride returning to his playing habits after missing last week’s loss due to a concussion suffered in the previous game.
Trey McBride returns as the Arizona Cardinals begin Week 5 practice ahead of their game against the San Francisco 49ers. #AZCardinals pic.twitter.com/g3qoGljoDb
-Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) October 2, 2024
To say the offense, which accounted for just 14 points in the blowout, missed it is an understatement.
“It’s huge. I won’t say we missed last week, but I think we missed last week,” quarterback Kyler Murray said Wednesday. “Just having him there, another playmaker, another guy who gets the job done no matter what. His confidence will continue to grow. I’m really excited to see him back there.
Despite only appearing in three games, McBride, who was a limited participant in Wednesday’s practice, has been a consistent option for Murray behind 21 targets. That’s enough to finish second on the team behind Marvin Harrison Jr. (28).
McBride parlayed that into 14 catches (tied for third on the team) for 122 yards on top of his improved blocking ability.
Now, he’ll be tasked with taking over a 49ers defense that hasn’t been kind to tight ends this season.
In four games, San Francisco has not allowed more than 21 yards and three catches to a single tight end. Only once this year has a tight end — New England’s Austin Hooper — scored on the 49ers.
The tight ends San Francisco has faced, however, have not brought the same type of playmaking abilities as McBride nor are they a top-tier option on their respective teams.
“He does a lot for us in the running and passing games,” head coach Jonathan Gannon said Wednesday. “Any time you don’t have one of your best players, it hurts the unit. I thought the guys reacted the right way, but it would be nice to have Trey back.
No hangovers here
At this rate, all the positives – big or small – help after that nasty house loss on Sunday.
But even though this is by far the worst loss of the Gannon era, the players and coaches aren’t letting it linger with Week 5 here.
“We got our ass kicked. It was the first time that happened since he’s been here and since I’ve been playing now that he’s been here,” Murray said. “It’s not a good feeling, especially at home, to get beat like that. But at the same time, the message does not change. His confidence does not waver, our confidence does not waver. We have to play harder, we have to be smarter and we have to execute better.
“It must be a new week. The season is not over. We’re 1-3 right now and we can finish 14-3,” Marvin Harrison Jr. added Wednesday. “You can’t have that mindset, just because we got our butts kicked last Sunday, we can’t let that carry over into the next few games here. …New week, new mindset and continue to do our best to win this upcoming game.
