James Conner has had solid games for the Arizona Cardinals
By Jim Koch
Veteran running back James Conner has been one of the few bright spots for the Arizona Cardinals during the team’s last two losses.
The Arizona Cardinals have given their fans very little to cheer about during the squad’s last two appearances. Head coach Kliff Kingsbury’s “Air Raid” offense, in particular, has been mostly a self-destructive mess.
One of the unit’s few bright spots during that time has been James Conner, the veteran running back who inked a three-year contract-extension with the Cards last March. The 27-year-old has shown the heart and guts that the club fell in love with when they originally signed Conner back in April of 2021.
Conner was easily the MVP of the Arizona offense during this past Monday’s 27-13 loss to the New England Patriots. The 6 foot 1, 233 pounder rumbled for 85 yards on just 15 rushing attempts for a sparkling 5.62 yards per carry. Conner also found his way into the end zone for the sixth time this season when he scored from 10 yards out against the Patriots.
James Conner ran for 120 yards for the Arizona Cardinals back in Week 12
Just a week before, Conner had his best game as a Cardinal during the team’s 25-24 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers. The Pennsylvania native broke the century-mark in rushing yards (120) for the first time in a Cards uniform, and notched the go-ahead score on a six-yard pass from Kyler Murray with 13:31 left in regulation.
Conner and the Redbirds agreed on a $21 million deal after the former Pittsburgh Steelers draft pick turned in a Pro Bowl performance in 2021. The former third-round selection struggled early on this fall, amassing just 200 yards and one touchdown on the ground during Arizona’s first five matchups. Conner would then miss the next three contests, thanks to a rib injury he suffered during a Week 5 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
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The powerful Conner resembled a one-man wrecking crew during the Cardinals’ clashes with the Chargers and the Patriots. Even more impressive is the fact that the former University of Pittsburgh product has been so productive behind a makeshift offensive line. One thing’s for certain, the desire and determination that Conner has shown as of late has been a sight for sore eyes for Cards followers everywhere.
(Information provided by Pro Football Reference and Spotrac.com)
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