James Conner, Cardinals Hope To Take Panthers On The Run

With injuries, team might lean more on Dallas, Carter

Dec 19, 2024 at 02:21 PM

Darren Urban

azcardinals.com

Running back James Conner goes airborne on one of his rushing attempts last week against the Patriots.

DeeJay Dallas set an NFL record earlier this season by becoming the first player to return the league's new dynamic kickoff for a touchdown and remains a coaching staff favorite for how he plays each week.

Dallas, though, is a running back at heart. And now, the Cardinals – a team constructed to think run first – need him in that role.

"It's not foreign for me to play offense, but I'm getting the opportunity to show what I can do and how hard I work," Dallas said. "The work and belief comes to fruition. They built our room up for guys to be able to step in."

The Cardinals have run well all season, averaging more than five yards per attempt for nearly 2,000 yards with three games to go. James Conner is the main reason, powering toward a 1,000-yard season. But with rookie Trey Benson questionable for Sunday's game in Carolina with an ankle injury and Emari Demercado on Injured Reserve with a bad back, the depth chart has shifted.

The expectations haven't.

"That's the nature of this business," offensive coordinator Drew Petzing said.

The Cardinals will face a struggling Panthers defense that has allowed at least 197 yards rushing in seven of their last 14 games, are giving up 173 yards rushing a game this season, and have allowed at least 200 yards rushing in each of the last three games.

They will doubtless face a lot of Conner. On a personal level, the veteran is looking to nail down his best season ever. He needs 27 yards to reach 1,000 and 68 to surpass the career-best 1,040 he had in 2023. He would also join Ottis Anderson and Edgerrin James as the only Cardinals to ever have more than one 1,000-yard rushing season. Anderson did it five times, James twice.

These are numbers Conner shrugs away, and his ability to play every game thus far despite the pounding he takes might be his most important stat of the season.

"James is a horse," quarterback Kyler Murray said. "He carries us in the run game. The O-line did a hell of a job on Sunday, but when he gets going, he's tough to bring down. He's a big back, versatile, nimble, agile, can catch the ball - I say it all the time, there's not much that he can't do."

As Conner piles up stats and rankings – he became the franchise's fifth-leading rusher ever after his 110 yards against the Patriots – he just as quickly dismisses such conversation.

"I've just got my head down," Conner said. "When it's all said and done, I look up and see what I accomplish. All glory to God for any milestone and anything that I am knocking down and chasing."

Conner has only once had 20 carries in a game this season, the win in Miami. Part of that is because both Benson and Demercado were getting some work.

If Benson is out Sunday, the Cardinals likely will turn to a practice squad elevation for veteran Michael Carter, who essentially played Benson's role in 2023 (and did it well.) Having that kind of depth matters.

Dallas played 12 offensive snaps against the Patriots, more than double what he had the entire season previous (5). He had four carries (for 15 yards), equaling his season total coming into the game.

If the Cardinals can exploit the Panthers' defense, it might not matter who is in the backfield.

"We learn our opponent inside and out," Dallas said. "The result lies in the execution. You can know your opponent 100 percent, but if you don't execute it's all for naught."

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Arizona Cardinals Head Coach Jonathan Gannon during practice at the Dignity Health Training Facility on Thursday, December 19, 2024 in Tempe, AZ.