TEMPE — The improved connection between quarterback Kyler Murray and wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. flashed in last week’s win over the New Orleans Saints.
This week, however, it’s all about the Cardinals’ bread and butter — the run game led by James Conner.
Posting his second-best rushing total of 2024 in Arizona’s 36-30 overtime loss to Carolina, Conner ran wild behind 117 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries. He averaged an impressive season high of 7.8 yards per attempt.
And that’s before mentioning his impact in the receiving game, pacing the team with four catches (four targets) for 49 yards.
The most interesting part of it all? Conner logged the fourth-fewest offensive snaps of the season with 31 after exiting in the third quarter with a knee injury.
Needing just six more yards to set a season high, Conner was well on his way to posting his best game of the year before going down.
It wasn’t just Conner, either, with the team posting 206 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns. Murray played a big part in that total, chipping in 63 yards and score on eight carries.
And after what Jacksonville put on tape against Carolina in last week’s season opener, all signs point to a repeat game plan for this year’s Cardinals team.
Highlighted by Travis Etienne’s 71-yard scamper, the Jaguars logged 200 yards on 32 carries. Even with taking Etienne’s explosive out of the equation, Jacksonville still averaged 4.1 yards per carry.
The only team that saw more success in Week 1 was the Baltimore Ravens (238 yards and three touchdowns) led by future Hall of Famer Derrick Henry.
It’s an extension of Carolina’s atrocious run defense last year which allowed six straight games of at least 200 yards to finish the season. That stretched included six touchdowns.
And unlike Arizona’s run game last year, the Cardinals have an added wrinkle in the run game: An improved Trey Benson.
The second-year pro carved out a bigger role in 2025 — especially on third down — and ran with it (no pun intended) in Arizona’s season opener.
His 52-yard scamper was the highlight of his afternoon and it could have been much more had it not been for the impressive chasedown by Saints DL Carl Granderson.
“He’s only going to get better.”
Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon talks Trey Benson’s impact in Sunday’s win over the Saints ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/izF3Zwt2h6
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) September 8, 2025
A potential tipping point to the Cardinals run game?
The Cardinals should be the better team on the ground on Sunday, but it won’t be without some adversity.
Blocking tight end Tip Reiman has been ruled out of Sunday’s game with a foot injury after missing practice this week.
He may not put up the receiving stats like star Trey McBride, but Reiman’s impact on the run and pass game cannot be denied.
With him sidelined, it’s going to be on tight ends Elijah Higgins, who impressed as a blocker last week, and Travis Vokolek to help pick up the slack.
Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon on Elijah Higgins’ improvement as a blocker.
“I really thought that he displayed decisiveness and a lot of violence Week 1, so that was good. He know-knows what to look for.”
A good example of “Higgy Bear” getting after it last week ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/EPxY2i3UhD
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) September 12, 2025
“I really thought that (Higgins) displayed decisiveness and a lot of violence Week 1, so that was good,” head coach Jonathan Gannon said Friday. “He know-knows what to look for, who to anticipate (when it comes to) the guy that he’s going to have to block. … We use him a lot of different ways and he handles it.
“The cool thing about him, too, once you correct a detail on something, he doesn’t have a lot of mental errors. Just the details of everything in how we use him, once he makes that mistake and you clean it up, he gets it. He learns quickly. He’s a good player. He’s doing well.”
As for some other potential wrinkles to help fill the void, don’t be surprised if interior lineman Jon Gaines II gets more involved this week.
After all, Arizona’s Pat Tillman Practice Player of the Week did log five snaps at fullback last season.
No Cody Simon during the open portion of Cardinals practice.
Jon Gaines II earns the first Pat Tillman Player of the Week honor for 2025. pic.twitter.com/bbQr34ZqzL
— Tyler Drake (@Tdrake4sports) September 10, 2025
