close
close

Guiltandivy

Source for News

    • James Conner leads the Cardinals to victory over the Chargers
    Update Information

    James Conner leads the Cardinals to victory over the Chargers

    Kathleen William Posted on

    play

    James Conner is not a man of many words, and when he speaks, the Cardinals listen. And one day before a big, big game, the running back had a message to deliver.

    The Cardinals found themselves in an awkward situation at 2-4, but that was just a moment. It passes like everything else in life – everything else Conner has been through, everything else he knows his teammates have been through. So the underlying theme, as Jonathan Gannon later explained, was simple: maximize your opportunities.

    “I hope it inspires them,” Conner said. “We all have trips. We all have different stories.”

    A day later, Conner played as if the mantra had inspired him.

    His first significant opportunity looked different than any Cardinal could have imagined, but he took advantage of it nonetheless. Chargers defender Teair Tart had intercepted Kyler Murray and was now rumbling down the right sideline. Conner lunged at Tart from behind and knocked the ball loose. The Cardinals recovered. Crisis averted.

    For Conner it was natural; a rare opportunity to relive his days as a linebacker at McDowell High in Pennsylvania.

    For Gannon, it was the epitome of the ferocity with which Conner plays.

    “It really does,” Gannon said. “We talk about it and educate them, but it's a different thing that he's chasing the ball in real time and stripping a guy. Huge game.”

    It didn't take long for that influence to spread to the offensive side.

    Monday night was a slog for the Cardinals in many ways. Murray finished with just 145 yards. Marvin Harrison Jr. had no impact. However, Conner was able to muster just enough offense to secure a 17-15 victory. He finished the game with 19 carries for 101 yards and two receptions for 51 yards.

    A lot of it was his own doing. According to Next Gen Stats, he finished above expectations with 15 rushing yards. He broke 12 tackles as a runner and three as a receiver and collected 92 of his 101 rushing yards after contact.

    Notably, he now leads the NFL in forced missed tackles as both a runner (35) and a receiver (12).

    “In my mind, there’s nothing he can’t do,” Murray said.

    Conner's impact was evident in explosive plays, such as his 18-yard reception and 14-yard run to set up the Cardinals' first touchdown. But in the small moments it was perhaps even more effective.

    Take his carry on first and hit him on the same drive from the Chargers 7 yard line. Linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu broke through the offensive line and pushed toward Conner well behind the line of scrimmage. The play was stopped before it began. But instead of taking a big loss, Conner stiff-armed Tuipulotu and gained positive yards. What could have been second and tenth ended up being second and fifth. One play later, Arizona found itself in the end zone.

    “He put the team on his back today and carried us home,” Gannon said.

    In five games on film, Gannon had never seen a team force the Chargers out of their preferred defensive style, which consists of two high safeties in a shell over the top, taking away their deep passing game. Conner's imposing presence occasionally caused Los Angeles to bring an extra defender into the box. Murray checked out of running plays several times, opting to take advantage of the extra space downfield.

    “Kyler did a really good job today and gave us ideal looks,” Gannon said. “(Because if) you just call the normal run there, he’s going to get killed at the line of scrimmage.”

    It didn't always work – Murray's longest pass to a wide receiver was just 15 yards – but it helped create just enough plays in the passing game. After averaging 4.6 yards per attempt in the first half, Murray averaged a healthier 7.1 in the second half.

    However, the biggest play once again came from Conner. Of their 45 games with less than two minutes of play, the Cardinals needed all the points to win. Murray tried to go deep, but Zay Jones was trapped by three defenders. Harrison didn't cause a breakup when he was under him. Michael Wilson was well covered in the event of a breakdown.

    That left Conner as a safety valve. He made much more of it.

    After catching the ball behind the line of scrimmage, Conner sent linebacker Daiyan Henley stiff-armed to the turf and then fended off a tackle attempt by cornerback Tarheeb Still. When the Chargers forced him down the field 33 yards, the Cardinals were within comfortable field goal range. For all their offensive woes, the game was essentially on ice.

    They had, as their running back demanded, maximized their opportunity.

    Tagged:

    LEAVE A RESPONSE

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Kathleen William
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like

    ads