Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner is in the beginning of his third season in the Valley, and through two games has easily been one of the bright spots on an 0-2 football team. The two-time captain rushed 23 times for 106 yards while providing Arizona's first offensive touchdown of the season in a disappointing 31-28 loss to the New York Giants.
“It is hard to say if I am happy right now," Conner said after his first 100-yard performance in 2023, already matching his total from last year.
"I am really sick to my stomach. I am hurt. I am not discouraged but I am hurt for sure. We are in this thing together. Our offense put a couple more points up than we did last week. Still wasn’t enough. We didn’t complete the mission.”
Conner has been considered a vital part of the Cardinals' identity since his arrival, though the absence of Kyler Murray has propelled his importance to new levels.
He's delivered.
"I thought (RB) James (Conner) was — that's why he's who he is. The offensive line did a good job I thought. They had a good plan I thought we executed well. The run game looked good today," said head coach Jonathan Gannon following the game.
Conner has been even better from an efficiency standpoint when compared to 2022. The Pro Bowl back is averaging roughly 4.7 yards per attempt this year, up from the previous two seasons. He was attacking the inside and outside with equal ferocity and was also gaining his trademark hard-earned yards after contact.
"JC (RB James Connor) did a great job finding the holes, getting those dirty yards. We talked about that last week as a growth opportunity in the run game. Finding those dirty yards where you can either try to balance it or put your head down and push the pile forward and he did a tremendous job of doing that," Cardinals quarterback Josh Dobbs said following the game.
"Getting the run game going, that’s a big part of our offense. Being able to jump into different personnels and keep the defense on their heels as you guys saw."
Conner has also been quite good in the pass protection avenue, a trait that's often overlooked by football fans.
In a season that may not provide many bright spots, James Conner is certainly a candidate to be one of the strongest contributors through the 17 game grind.
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