3 Arizona Cardinals players who enjoyed solid outings in Week 16

Yesterday, we saw more of the same from the Arizona Cardinals, but it doesn’t mean the team had a universally bad game.

Arizona Cardinals v Chicago Bears
Arizona Cardinals v Chicago Bears | Michael Reaves/GettyImages
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The Arizona Cardinals never gave the Chicago Bears a game in yesterday’s loss, but a few individual players put up solid overall performances. No, nobody played at an elite level on offense, but defensively, you could make the case for one player. 

Another player didn’t fare too well at their actual position, but they did a fine job from an all-purpose standpoint. The same goes for a second offensive player, and those overall outings gave them a spot on the list.

So which players did enough to generate some momentum heading into Weeks 17 and 18 of what has been a long season for the Redbirds? Keep reading and you will meet two offensive players and one elite defensive player. 

Arizona Cardinals
Dec 24, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner (6) runs the ball | Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

3 Arizona Cardinals players who enjoyed solid performances

1 - James Conner, RB

While running back James Conner didn’t have a great game running the football with just 45 yards on 12 carries, he was rather effective as an all-purpose player. Conner had five catches on five targets through the air for 67 yards, and a touchdown, giving him 112 all-purpose yards on 17 touches and a touchdown. 

Conner has long been a focal point of the offense this season, and he’s one major reason things haven’t been completely hopeless for the Redbirds unit this year. If Conner gives the Arizona Cardinals one more decent season should he return, then they will be okay at the position in 2024.

Speaking of running backs, rookie standout Emari Demercado gets an honorable mention here, as he snagged seven catches for 40 yards to go with his two carries for 10 yards. It’s become clear that Demercado is the clear-cut front-runner for the RB2 job next season, and perhaps even more depending on what the Cards do with Conner come the 2024 offseason.

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