James Conner hadn’t stood at a podium inside Acrisure Stadium in a few years, not since his days as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and as he did Sunday, it was his first time as a visitor. You wouldn’t have been able to tell from his T-shirt though.
Conner donned a royal blue Pitt tee as he stood at the podium, repping his alma mater after a big performance in a win against his old team.
“Everything about this place is special,” Conner said following the Cardinals’ 24-10 win. “When I was a baby, University of Pittsburgh at 18 years old, it was a goal of mine to get to the NFL. I didn’t know how I was gonna do it but just trying to figure it out as I got here at Heinz Field, Acrisure now, where it started, so special energy here.”
He certainly figured it out against the Steelers, turning around a slow first half in a big way. And Conner was a workhorse for the Cards in the second half. He finished the afternoon, after two weather delays, with 25 carries for a season-high 105 yards and two touchdowns.
It was certainly a triumphant return for the Erie, Pa. native and former Pitt star — his first time at Acrisure since his final game as a Steeler, which came in a loss to the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 2020 NFL Playoffs.
“Obviously, the emotion was going when I took the field, but like I said in the postgame interview on the field, it was all God,” Conner said. “I had this envisioned, just coming home and just trying to play my best football.”
Conner certainly played his best football in the second half against the Steelers, racking up 14 carries for 91 yards (6.5 yards per carry) and two touchdowns as the Cardinals put away the Steelers.
The Cardinals, as they entered the contest at 2-10, were a substantial underdog against the Steelers Sunday afternoon, and while the Cards led at the halftime break, it felt like the Steelers — who lost Kenny Pickett to an ankle injury late in the first half — were primed for a comeback.
Steelers stars T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith were impactful throughout the first half, and at points in the second half, but Conner was able to rip off touchdown runs to give the Cards a 17-3 lead and then a 24-3 lead.
“It’s just staying consistent with it all game, I mean, T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith, on the ends, they’re just a handful to deal with,” Conner said. “I know how much pride they take in that over there and Coach (Mike Tomlin) saying tight ends vs. D-ends, so man, a phenomenal defense. We knew they were gonna come ready but we were just able to stay consistent, stick with it and try to rip it off as they came.”
It was a satisfying win for the Cardinals, snapping a two-game losing streak and securing a third win on the season, and quite a few of Conner’s friends and family were in attendance to watch the big afternoon.
“I got about 20 tickets, a couple of other people wanted different seats,” Conner said. “Visitors now, they got us in the nosebleeds, so a couple of other friends and family got their own tickets, but there was a handful. The love in the city was there.”
He even received the game ball after the win. It was a successful return home, seeing old teammates and coaches, even the old security guards in Acrisure Stadium, and he made sure to tell everyone he saw just how much he appreciated them. His time as a Steeler, and as a Pitt Panther before that, was a huge step in his career. The lessons he learned as a Steeler are still with him today.
He certainly ran hard against the Steelers, stiff-arming Steelers cornerback Patrick Peterson on a meaningless second down run in the second quarter, but it was his two touchdowns that turned the tide.
With the Cardinals facing a second and goal from inside the 1-yard line in the third quarter, Conner took a handoff and dove over the mass of players to score his first touchdown of the afternoon. It gave the Cardinals a 17-3 lead just a few minutes before the presence of severe weather forced the second weather delay of the day.
And he extended the lead when play resumed, slicing through the Steelers’ defense and barrelling into the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter — his second of the day. And he did it all despite Renegade blasting in the second half, which he was certainly familiar with.
“I ain’t like Renegade, that got the defense turned up for them,” Conner said. “Nah, it’s special. Emotions were running high, but I was just taking it all in. Just accepting it all, it’s a lot of love, got a lot of love for this place.”
It was the continuation of a successful season for Conner, despite a knee injury against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 5 that held him out for about a month, as he’s racked up 129 carries for 631 yards (4.9 yards per carry) and four touchdowns — adding 14 receptions and 36 more yards.
Conner, who started his NFL career with the Steelers after a standout career at Pitt, has racked up 1,046 carries for 4,467 yards (4.3 yards per carry) and 48 touchdowns — adding 221 receptions for 1,674 yards and eight touchdowns through the air.
He’s in the midst of his third season in Arizona, his seventh season in the NFL, after being drafted by the Steelers in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
