Trey Benson knew his performance was going to reach another level once the game began to slow down for him.
Patiently waiting for that to happen, the rookie running back started to sense a difference against the Bears when he scored his first NFL touchdown.
The following week against the Jets, the game continued to slow down. Benson did not.
"I knew it was going to come," Benson said. "I just come to work, executing every day, and practice how you play. It's really been the practices for me. I've been doing better at practices and have been more decisive at practice. What you do at practice shows up in the game."
Against the Jets, Benson was the Cardinals' leading rusher with 62 yards on 10 carries. He finished Sunday's game with three runs that went for 10-plus yards, which ranked second-most over the weekend. He also had a pair of receptions for 25 yards.
A little more than halfway through his first season, Benson has 271 total yards in 10 games. On-field reps and practice time have naturally been instrumental in his development, but not the only reason Benson has found his stride.
"When you got (jersey No.) 6, James Conner, right there in front of me, he teaches me," Benson said. "He's been teaching me every step of the way."
When the Cardinals drafted Benson in the third round, it appeared the Florida State product could be the running back of the future. Conner is in the final year of his contract and is almost 30, an age where production at the position typically declines.
But Conner is playing as well as he ever has, on pace for another 1,000 yard rushing season. The duo has provided the Cardinals offense with a dynamic 1-2 punch in the backfield.
The ability to shake off defenders and generate yards after contact is one of the traits of the Cardinals' offense. Against the Jets, Benson averaged 5.2 yards after contact. Tight end Trey McBride also had a viral moment, breaking free from cornerback Sauce Gardner and hurdling a Jets defender for a big first down.
"I feel like it's demoralizing for a defense to see the running back get hit behind the line of scrimmage and then find a way to get three, four yards after contact," McBride said. "Trey's really figured it out the last couple of weeks, he's run the ball well. I thought this game was remarkable with how many blocks he shed off and was able to get after contact."
When asked about the toughness it takes to shake off defenders, Benson pointed to Conner's locker.
"I'm feeding off J.C., honestly, because I see him do it and it makes me want to do it," he said, adding that sometimes he doesn't show emotion because "I'm in my head thinking, 'Damn, did I just do that and really knock off three defenders?'"
Conner is a player intentional with his words. Most times, the silent leader will do his talking on the field. Even as the leader in the room, he'll often embrace the student role.
"I'm teaching him and he's teaching me, that youthfulness and that eager-to-learn," Conner said. "I'm in Year 8 and I'm still learning things. That's the humbleness part of the game and that's how you keep getting better is by having that never arrived mindset.
"He brings the energy. That's my man."
Coach Jonathan Gannon said the name of the game is continuously adapting and learning. "I think it's important to have a growth mindset all the time," he said. It's a contributing factor to the Cardinals' success as they sit in first place in the NFC West.
With that mindset at the forefront of the team's philosophy, Conner believes Benson's game will continue to elevate.
"He's so gifted. He's special," Conner said. "That size, his acceleration, the way he gets his knees up and his ability to break tackles. He's a special player. It's been awesome to watch."
