Cardinals’ James Conner leaves the game with apparent injury

Arizona Cardinals running back James Conner left Sunday’s game and went to the medical tent to have his knee evaluated for an apparent injury, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The team officially announced that Conner was questionable to return with a knee injury.

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Conner limped off the field to have his right knee checked by the sideline medical staff. He appeared to twist his knee awkwardly after Panthers defender Josey Jewell tackled Conner.

Arizona had two starters go on back-to-back plays in the third quarter. Along with Conner, right tackle Jonah Williams was helped off the field after suffering a knee injury.

Conner scored Arizona’s first touchdown of the day in the second quarter. Panthers linebacker Jacoby Windmon became the first player to be penalized for a hip-drop tackle after hitting Conner for a short gain on a pass reception.

However, Fox Sports rules analyst Dean Blandino said he did not believe Windmon’s play contained all four necessary components to be considered a hip-drop tackle. But it remains to be seen whether Windmon will be fined next week. The 15-yard penalty moved the Cardinals close to midfield and eventually set up Connor to score on a run.

Conner surpassed the 1,000-yard rushing mark this season with a 40-yard run earlier in the game. It is the second year in a row that he has reached the milestone. Prior to his injury, Conner recorded 15 carries for 117 yards and a touchdown against Carolina.

For the past two seasons, Conner has been relatively healthy in offensive coordinator Drew Petzing’s run-heavy offense.

Arizona is currently in third place in the NFC West, one game behind the Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks. Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray talked about whether the Week 16 matchup was viewed as a potential trap game by the team.

“I’m very confident it’s not a trap game because mentally it could never be a thing because of where we are,” Murray said via team transcript. “Our backs are against the wall, we understand that. I think for it to be a trap game, our record has to be better. We have to feel not humbled. We understand what’s at stake and we understand that is every week for us.”

A win over the Panthers would be huge for the Cardinals, a team hoping to get above .500.

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