The opening drive for the Cardinals on Monday night sure didn’t go as planned, with things going haywire on just their sixth play of the game. Chargers defensive tackle Teair Tart intercepted a pass from Kyler Murray near midfield, but running back James Conner wasn’t going to let that mistake go unpunished. Conner managed to punch the ball out of Tart’s grasp and the Cardinals were able to recover, averting an early disaster.
Conner put on a show throughout the game, rushing the ball 19 times for 101 yards and adding two receptions for 51 yards, including a crucial 33-yard catch that set up Chad Ryland’s game-winning field goal in the final quarter. His outstanding performance was a major factor in the Cardinals’ much-needed victory following a tough loss to Green Bay the previous week. Head coach Jonathan Gannon had nothing but praise for Conner, highlighting his stellar efforts on the field.
“I thought he was lights out,” Gannon raved, as reported by Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. “There were a lot of times he is getting four yards and it should be probably one or two. He put the team on his back today and carried us home.”
While it may be premature to start thinking about the playoffs, the win bumped the Cardinals’ record to 3-4, a significant improvement over a potential 2-5 record. The challenge now for the Cardinals is to demonstrate that they can replicate this level of performance consistently week after week. With the NFC being highly competitive, every win is crucial as they strive to secure a spot in the postseason.
