James Conner leads Cardinals to win with three touchdowns

Former Pitt running back James Conner was called upon to take on a larger workload for the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, as Chase Edmonds went down with an injury, and he capitalized on the opportunity by putting on his best performance of the season.

All told, Conner accrued 173 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns on the day, with 96 yards and two scores coming on 21 carries and 77 yards and one score coming on five receptions. Those figures made Conner the team’s top rusher and second-best receiver in the game. They also made him the NFL’s leader in rushing touchdowns, as his two gave him 10 on the season, tying him with injured Tennessee Titans star Derrick Henry.

Conner’s 18-point contribution to the Cardinals put them over the top in what would go down as a 31-17 win over the NFC West rival San Francisco 49ers. He also helped the team get through a rough patch, as the Cardinals were missing Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins in addition to Edmonds, leaving the offense thin.

With the win, the Cardinals improved to 8-1 on the season and bounced back from a tough 24-21 loss to the Green Bay Packers. And with Edmonds now injured and Murray struggling to produce in his most recent appearance, throwing two interceptions and zero touchdowns, Conner will likely continue to play a prominent role in the Cardinals offense.