Drew Petzing wasn’t watching the Kyler Murray-to-Marvin Harrison Jr. 14-yard completion Sunday on fourth-and-5, a gotta-have-it that the Cardinals got. That’s not unusual. The offensive coordinator knows the Cardinals lose the ball if it is incomplete, so he is already thinking of the next play to call assuming the play does hit.
“If we don’t convert, it’s a non-issue for me,” Petzing said. “My mind is already there.”
The pass to Harrison was the play the Cardinals called, Petzing confirmed, underscoring what Murray had said postgame that in such a situation, it was meaningful that even with Harrison pulling down one catch in six targets before that play, it was the rookie he turned to for the pass.
The 49ers came with heavy pressure, and Murray was backpedaling before he threw a solid pass off his back foot, giving Harrison the chance to pull it in.
“Ideally there is no one near him, and it is routes on air,” Petzing deadpanned.
But, Petzing added, “that’s the reality. Generally in this league in critical situations against good teams with the game on the line, it is rush five or six and play man. That’s what good teams do more often than not.”
The conversation of getting Harrison more productive isn’t going to fade — he has 145 yards total the last three games, after gaining 130 against the Rams — but he made a huge play when needed, leading to the game-winning field goal.
“I got to watch it after the game,” Petzing said, “and I did enjoy it.”
