Eye on the Opponent: Cardinals Have Questions on Offense

After resolving their uncertainty at the quarterback position by sticking with Josh Dobbs, the Arizona Cardinals may have to figure out which players will fill voids at other positions this week against the New York Giants.

On Thursday, the host team posted their latest injury report following practice, and a couple of notable names were inhabiting the list. Running back James Conner, who serves as the lead rusher on a talent-hungry roster, was a limited participant for the second straight day with a calf issue. Offensive tackle Kelvin Beachum appeared with a hand ailment as well, joined by three other players on the defensive side of the football.

The potential defensive absences—defensive end L.J. Collier, defensive tackle Leki Fotu, and linebacker Josh Woods—will certainly sting for the Cardinals, given their interior racked up six sacks on Washington QB Sam Howell last Sunday. It kept the team within a puncher’s chance of winning the game. However, the offensive pieces will be tougher to replicate for an Arizona unit that already struggled to churn up significant production in the season opener.

In the contest that saw the backfield tally 96 total yards on the ground, Conner was the lone running back with an ounce of decent production. He carried the pigskin 14 times for 62 yards and an average of 4..4 yards per attempt while holding the second-longest rush in the game at 12 yards. Other than a 29-yard rush by receiver Marquise Brown, the Cardinals managed just five extra yards on the ground, making their offense extremely one-dimensional.

Of course, it’s possible the first game of the season was just a fluke and not an indictment of what Conner will be for this underdog franchise moving forward. He has posted four seasons with at least 169 carries, 721 yards, and six touchdowns in his seven-year NFL career, including his consecutive 700+ yard outings since joining the Cardinals in 2021. He’s also been one of the best at protecting the football, losing just three fumbles as a pro.

If the 28-year-old cannot play, Arizona will be stuck where they will have to rely on a committee of inefficient running backs to get the job done. The only player with a resume for being a serviceable back is Corey Clement, the 28-year-old veteran who served as a passing down back for the Eagles in 2017-2018. Add in the element of the Giants' big defensive presence up front and heavy pressure system, it could spell trouble for the Cardinals, who don’t have a ball carrier with the ability to take over in the trenches.

With Beachum questionable for the second straight week, the Cardinals would again be missing one of the strongest blockers in their entire offensive line room. Per PFF, Beachum has played in almost 9,700 snaps in his career and been a stronghold in his 6,046 pass-blocking snaps. In his three years with Arizona, the 34-year-old has allowed more than three sacks just once and kept opposing pressures away from the quarterback with less than 30 in 2020 and 2021, respectively.

The Cardinals’ oldest offensive linemen can also play in both tackle spots if injuries force a reshuffling of the front lines during a game. That lack of experience and versatility could result in substituting younger, weaker links into the equation for Arizona, which could lend to a more dominant left edge rush for the Giants than what was seen in Week 1 vs. Dallas’ stellar protection.

Washington garnered three sacks on Joshua Dobbs last Sunday, and that number could repeat itself or be worse if New York gets their stud rushers and interior stuffers going early.

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