Still no Darius Robinson, but Trey McBride can give Cardinals much-needed boost in Week 5
TEMPE — Arizona Cardinals fans will have to wait at least another week before seeing first-round pick and defensive lineman Darius Robinson’s NFL debut.
Despite the Cardinals having the ability to designate the rookie to return off of injured reserve for the first time this season, Arizona won’t 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 painfully continues.
But for a struggling offense, all signs point to tight end Trey McBride getting back to his playmaking ways after missing last week’s loss due to a concussion suffered the game prior.
To say the offense, which accounted for just 14 points in the blowout, missed him is an understatement.
“It’s huge. I won’t say we missed last week, but I think we missed him last week,” quarterback Kyler Murray said Wednesday. “Just having him out there, another playmaker, another guy that gets the job done no matter what. His confidence is going to continue to grow. I’m definitely excited to have him back out there.”
While he’s only appeared in three games, McBride, who was a limited participant during Wednesday’s practice, has been a constant option for Murray behind 21 targets. That’s good enough for second on the team behind only Marvin Harrison Jr. (28).
McBride has turned those into 14 catches (tied for third on the team) for 122 yards in addition to his improved blocking ability.
Now, he’ll be tasked with getting the better of a 49ers defense that has not been kind to tight ends this season.
Through four games, San Francisco hasn’t 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, haven’t brought the same kind of playmaking abilities as McBride nor are they a top option on their respective teams.
“He does a lot for us in the run and pass games,” head coach Jonathan Gannon said Wednesday. “Anytime you don’t have one of your better players out there, it hurts the unit. I thought guys responded the right way, but it’ll be good to get Trey back.”
No hangover here
At this rate, any positives — big or small — help after that nasty home loss on Sunday.
But although it was easily the worst loss in the Gannon era, players and coaches aren’t letting it linger with Week 5 here.
“We got our ass kicked. That was the first time that’s 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 doesn’t change. His confidence doesn’t waver, our confidence doesn’t waver. We have to play harder, we have to be smarter and we got to execute better.”
“It’s gotta be a new week. The season’s 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 of, just because we got our butts kicked last Sunday, we can’t let it trickle down to the next couple games here. … New week, new mindset and continue to do the best that we can to win this game coming up.”
