The Arizona Cardinals prepare to face off against NFC West rivals Seattle Seahawks on Thursday Night Football of Week 4 of the NFL. However, they saw starting running back James Conner go down and if you’re wondering if he’s playing tonight, we have the answer.
Conner suffered an ankle injury which will sideline him for the rest of the season. Hence, he won’t be able to play alongside Kyler Murray and company against the Seahawks.
Conner has been a workhorse on this offense since arriving to the team in 2021, including a Pro Bowl selection. In fact, he surpassed 1,000 yards from scrimmage every season he’s played for the Cardinals.
Who is Conner’s backup?
Now, the task to guide the running game falls on Trey Benson’s shoulders. The second-year running back has been taking his fair share of snaps, but now, he will be promoted to be the RB1 of the team.
Benson is averaging a very good 6.0 yards per attempt right now on 21 carries. He’s also racked up 8 catches for 45 yards. While he hasn’t been able to score a touchdown yet, he will get all the red zone touches now that Conner is sidelined.
The running game is key for the Cardinals
Arizona needs the running game to work. Quarterback Kyler Murray is a very fast and mobile signal-caller but he needs the running game to be good to establish play-action. While Murray is a very good passer, his decision-making is sometimes questionable. Hence, opening passing lanes by having the defense concerned with the rushing department is crucial.
Also, there is something going on with the team’s best receiver. Marvin Harrison Jr. was drafted last season. He was poised to be one of the best wideouts in the NFL. However, this year he has two drops already on 17 targets. He’s only got 47.3 yards per game and only one touchdown. He is underdelivering which makes it harder for the team to be multidimensional on offense.