A season that was thought to hold a lot of potential for the Arizona Cardinals quickly came apart for the men from the desert, and James Conner’s injury marks only one chapter in the team’s story of failure this year. The running back was set to anchor an electric offense under head coach Jonathan Gannon, but the car came apart sooner than they would’ve liked.
When Will Cardinals RB James Conner Return To Action?
Conner suffered a season-ending foot injury in Week 3 versus the San Francisco 49ers. He was carted off the field early in the third quarter after getting tackled high and low on a 1-yard run.
It was initially thought to be a right ankle injury, but further evaluation confirmed it to be a foot injury for which he required surgery. He was subsequently placed on injured reserve on September 23, signaling the start of his recovery process.
Conner finished the campaign with 32 carries for 95 yards and a touchdown across three outings.
Trey Benson picked up most of the slack for one more game before disaster struck again, and he was ruled out with a knee injury that he suffered against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 4. What was initially thought to be a mild injury ended up keeping him out to date after he underwent surgery on Oct. 1.
Emari Demercado and Bam Knight took over for the 2nd-string back; however, Demercado also had some injury setbacks, having last played in Week 11 against the 49ers. The backfield rotations saw Michael Carter take on an even more enhanced role in the offense, with Corey Kiner serving as a depth piece.
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Benson’s situation has progressed to the point where it’s uncertain whether he’ll be activated again this year.
Knight and Carter are set to continue their respective duties in the backfield, even though their efforts might not amount to much. The Cardinals are out of contention for the postseason, sitting at 3-10 behind the LA Rams, Seattle Seahawks, and 49ers in the NFC West.
The division is the most feared in pro football, with three winning teams, of which two are 10-3: the Rams and Seahawks. The Niners, on the other hand, are close on their heels at 9-4. With a total of 32 wins already this season in the division, the squads from the west are likely to feature in abundance in the playoffs.
Coach Gannon and his men, meanwhile, are building toward next season, hoping to make a renewed run with a healthier squad.
Arizona Cardinals’ Stats and Insights for Week 15
Team: The Arizona Cardinals have lost ten of 15 games since starting last season 6-4.
QB: With Kyler Murray out for the season, Jacoby Brissett will be the starter for the remainder of the season. Brissett has 2,459 passing yards and 15 touchdown passes through eight starts. With four games left, Brissett is 639 passing yards and three touchdowns away from his career highs that were set in 15 starts.
Offense: The Cardinals scored 20.6 points per game in five Kyler Murray starts, and 22.4 points per game in Jacoby Brissett’s eight starts.
Defense:  The Los Angeles Rams scored 45 points in Week 14 to become the third Cardinals opponent in the last five games to score over 40.
Fantasy: Jacoby Brissett has been a revelation, but this matchup is pretty clearly one to avoid. Houston has recently made Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen look ordinary. Stream the position this week, Brissett isn’t worth the risk.
