Football was at a premium at Acrisure Stadium Sunday afternoon as two weather delays limited the on-field action between the Steelers and Cardinals, but James Conner made the most of his action.
Conner, in his return to Pittsburgh, scored twice against his old team.
With the Cardinals facing a second and goal from inside the 1-yard line, Conner took a handoff from Cards quarterback Kyler Murray inside the 5 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 — his second of the day.
In a dominant win against the Steelers, Conner ran the ball 25 times for 105 yards and and two touchdowns — the 1-yard touchdown dive and the 9-yard touchdown dash.
It’s been a successful season for Conner, despite an injury that held him out for about a month, as he’s racked up 104 carries for 526 yards (5.1 yards per carry) and two touchdowns — adding 14 receptions and 36 more yards.
In related news, Kenny Pickett was forced out of the action in the second quarter with an ankle injury, spotted on the sideline in a walking boot. He completed 7-of-10 passes for 70 yards before exiting the game.
Conner, who started his NFL career with the Steelers after a standout career at Pitt, has racked up 1,021 carries for 4,362 yards (4.3 yards per carry) and 46 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.
My favorite player in the NFL now that Fitz has retired.