Jets-Cardinals: Sauce Gardner, Marvin Harrison square off in underrated matchup

It was Nov. 6, 2022. That’s the last time Sauce Gardner intercepted a pass, 33 games ago. The Jets cornerback earned All-Pro honors in each of his first two seasons but, this year, NFL offenses clearly have shed any aversions and consistently attacked him both in the air and on the ground. The New York media and Jets fans have also sent plenty of free critiques in his direction.

“I felt I’ve had a pretty decent year,” Gardner said Thursday after responding well to Jeff Ulbrich’s challenge to improve his tackling. “Obviously, the defense is a little different. Teams try to attack us differently, like running the ball to my side. I’ve got a few missed tackles, but it happens.”

What’ll happen Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, CBS) is more running the ball to his side, with plenty of James Conner and Kyler Murray. But when the Cardinals choose to pass, the game features an under-the-radar matchup between Gardner and rookie Marvin Harrison when New York (3-6) visits Arizona (5-4). Like Gardner, Harrison has had an inconsistent season, possibly one of the reasons CBS showed more love for Philadelphia and Dallas this week.

According to Next Gen Stats, Gardner as the nearest defender is allowing his career’s highest passer rating (105.0) and completion percentage (58.1), a far cry from his first two seasons, when teams wouldn’t even challenge him in some games.

“He’ll be tested by another young star also having some ups and downs,” wrote Randy Lange on NewYorkJets.com, selecting Gardner as his X-factor against Arizona.

Lange said that Harrison has only one touchdown and averages just 2.6 catches over his last five games. The receiver had four touchdowns and 3.8 catches per game over his season’s first four contests. That’s part of the reason Lange sees Gardner as a potential difference-maker on Sunday.

“They should run into each other a few times under the State Farm Stadium roof,” Lange added, “and if one or the other scores a solid individual win, that could go a long way toward determining whether the Jets or the Cards come away victorious.”

If the Jets come away victorious, they’ll improve to 2-2 since acquiring Davante Adams. The veteran receiver seemed to complement Garrett Wilson in New York’s 21-13 win over Houston last week. But Sunday doesn’t look like an easy walk in the desert against a well-coached team that doesn’t make many mistakes.

So, don’t hesitate to tune in on Sunday Ticket. This one should be worth the popcorn.

For more information on the Jets and Cardinals, visit the N.Y. Jets and Arizona team pages at ProFootballPost.com.