Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner had a fantastic game on Monday against the L.A. Chargers. He rushed for 101 yards on 19 carries and added a pair of receptions for 51 yards, giving him 152 of the team’s 326 total yards of offense.
On the surface, that is great to begin with.
He became the first player in NFL history to accomplish these three feats in a game:
- Rush for 100-plus yards
- Have 50-plus receiving yards
- Force a fumble
The forced fumble is the X-factor. After Kyler Murray was intercepted by defensive lineman Teair Tart, Conner knocked the ball out, something a running back or any offensive player gets to do much.
But some Next Gen Stats and analytics also show how special the performance was.
- His five runs of 10 or more yards in the game were the second-most by a running back this season.
- He forced eight missed tackles, giving him 48 for the season, the second-most in the league behind San Francisco’s Jordan Mason, who has 53.
Pro Football Focus gives him even more credit.
Most missed tackles forced in a game this season:
James Conner – 15 (Week 7) 💪
No one else has more than 11. pic.twitter.com/Os9KXTQpKj
— PFF ARZ Cardinals (@PFF_Cardinals) October 23, 2024
They credited Conner with 15 forced missed tackles, the most in any game this season.
Conner has 504 rushing yards through seven games this season, the sixth-highest total in the league. He is averaging 4.6 yards per carry.
His first-down rushing rate is 31.2%, meaning he gains a first down (or touchdown) on 31.2% of his attempts. That percentage is higher than of the other players in the top 10 in rushing yards in the NFL.
He continues to be arguably the most important factor in the Cardinals’ offensive success.
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