James Conner spent his Sunday night at work, after spending all day Sunday at work.
The running back followed up his 122-yard rushing day in the 41-10 win over the Rams at State Farm Stadium by driving back across the Valley and going straight to the Dignity Health Training Center in Tempe. When you're the bell cow, it's the prep that ultimately pays off.
"I don't feel too bad," said Conner, who had 21 carries (and one reception) on Sunday. "I left State Farm (Sunday) night and came straight here. Sauna, cold tub, all that kind of stuff. Just to get a jump ahead on it."
It isn't an every home game occurrence -- "When needed. When needed for sure" -- but Conner understands. There is a reason, as his game hits peak form in an offense that seemingly was designed for him, he is so impactful.
"At this point I know what it takes," Conner said. "I know what's expected, I know what type of player I am, I know what kind of team we want to be. We preach physicality so you have to be able to do it week after week."
Conner has scored at least one touchdown in seven straight games dating back to last season, and his 31 career rushing TDs as a Cardinal already rank him sixth all-time in franchise history -- despite his 43 games played with the team still 19 fewer than David Johnson (33 TDs), who has the next fewest games on the list of the players in the top 6. It would be an upset for Conner not to be No. 2 on the rushing TD list by season's end; Wayne Morris, the current No. 2, had 37 rush TDs in 100 games with the Cardinals.
(Ottis Anderson, the all-time rush TD leader with 46, needed 99 games to get there.)
Meanwhile, Conner, coming off his first career 1,000-yard season, is flourishing overall at age 29 in Drew Petzing's scheme. He just past 5,000 career rushing yards, in part because he crossed the 100-yard mark in a game for the third time in the last four dating back to last season.
