Arizona running back James Conner truly stepped up both on and off the field as the Cardinals powered their way to a much-needed 17-15 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night.
“I thought he was outstanding,” said head coach Jonathan Gannon, via ESPN. “There were so many times he turned what should have been a 1- or 2-yard gain into 4 yards. He really carried us tonight.”
Conner rushed for 101 yards on 19 carries and added two receptions for 51 yards, totaling 152 scrimmage yards—his seventh-best game in that regard. Monday marked the sixth time in Conner’s career that he’s hit the 100+ rushing and 50+ receiving yards milestone in the same game.
Although both teams struggled offensively, when the Cardinals needed a spark, they turned to their hard-charging back. Conner delivered five runs of 10 or more yards, tying for the second-most in a game this season. He also forced 10 missed tackles, ranking just behind Bijan Robinson of the Falcons for the most in Week 7.
The defining moment of the game came with the Cardinals trailing 15-14 and only 1:45 left on the clock. Conner caught a short pass, turned upfield, and bulldozed his way 33 yards to set up the game-winning field goal.
His inspiring performance followed a heartfelt speech he gave to his teammates the night before. Conner, usually soft-spoken, encouraged the team to give it everything they had in this pivotal game.
“I just told them to push all their chips in for this week, that we’re still on a mission,” Conner said. “We can’t take anything for granted, and we have to play hard. There are guys on our team who are out for the season, wishing they could be out there. So I told them to play hard and get a win for this week.”
With the defense holding strong, Conner racking up yards, and Kyler Murray adding a 44-yard touchdown scramble, the Cardinals improved to 3-4, second in the NFC West, keeping their season alive.
It’s been an up-and-down year for Gannon’s squad, with flashes of great play mixed with some tough performances. Moving forward, the focus will be on finding consistency.
“The key is controlling each day and stacking up good ones,” Gannon said. “Our mindset is right, but now we need to keep it going. We’re good enough to make it happen, and I believe it will.”