Late surge from James Conner propels Cardinals over 49ers
Oct 6, 2024, 4:10 PM | Updated: 9:10 pm
The Arizona Cardinals looked to be following the same offensive trend they’ve had throughout most of the regular season against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday:
Strike fast and then peter off.
Scoring their fifth straight opening-drive touchdown of the season before putting up just three more points before halftime painted that picture to a tee. And with Arizona’s run game having little impact outside of quarterback Kyler Murray’s 50-yard touchdown run, the writing was seemingly already on the wall.
That was until James Conner woke up in the second half.
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Conner was a driving force during the heart of the Cardinals’ comeback on Sunday, totaling 86 yards on 19 carries as Arizona knocked off San Francisco, 24-23, on Sunday.
It truly was a tale of two halves for the veteran running back, who ended the first with just nine yards on six carries.
The rest of the way was a completely different story, with Conner racking up 77 yards on 13 carries. That was good enough for 5.9 yards per carry. He also converted a huge two-point try in the fourth quarter.
It was one heck of a turnaround for an Arizona offense that appeared to be spinning its tires at the half despite showing flashes.
It was a true complementary finish for the Cardinals, who watched Kyzir White come down with an interception late to seal the upset.
The defense as a whole stepped up big in the second half, pitching a shutout against a tough 49ers offense led by Arizona native Brock Purdy.
Arizona now heads into a Week 6 matchup with the Green Bay Packers sporting a 2-3 record through five weeks. That looks a heck of a lot better than 1-4.
