James Conner returns to Cardinals, scores 2 TDs, leaves with injury

The good news for James Conner and the Arizona Cardinals is that the veteran running back returned to the lineup in top form Sunday.

The bad news for both the player and the team is that his fourth-quarter injury could loom over the Cardinals as they enter the playoffs.

Conner, an Erie native, had missed the Cardinals' previous two games with a heel injury and was listed as questionable on Arizona's injury report before Sunday's game.

However, Conner suited up for the game and scored two touchdowns in a 38-30 loss to the Seattle Seahawks while showing the form that led him to a Pro Bowl selection for the second time in his career.

The 6-foot 1-inch, 233-pound fifth-year veteran showed the physical running style Sunday that has made him a fan favorite in his first season with Arizona.

NFL honor: Erie native James Conner makes Pro Bowl team with Cardinals

Early in the third quarter, Conner caught a pass from quarterback Kyler Murray in the left flat, shed a tackle and rumbled down the sideline before breaking another tackle and diving into the end zone for a 20-yard touchdown reception. That touchdown helped the Cardinals tie the score at 17-17 with 11:11 left in the third quarter.

Conner scored again less than two minutes later when he powered up the middle for a 1-yard touchdown run to give the Cardinals a 24-17 lead.

That gave Conner a career-high 18 touchdowns this season for the Cardinals, who signed him during the offseason after he spent his first four NFL seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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Conner's 18 overall touchdowns ranked third in the NFL this season behind Indianapolis Colts running back Jonathan Taylor and Los Angeles Chargers running back Austin Ekeler, who tied for the league lead with 20 TDs apiece.

Conner also finished with 15 rushing touchdowns, which tied him with New England Patriots running back Damien Harris for second in the league, behind only Taylor (18).

Conner closed the regular season with a team-high 752 rushing yards and added 39 receptions for 375 yards and three touchdowns. He compiled 1,127 yards from scrimmage in 15 games.

Arizona fans celebrated Conner's return to the lineup on Twitter on Sunday, especially after both of his hard-nosed touchdowns. However, that celebration was interrupted by a negative development early in the fourth quarter.

With the Cardinals trailing 31-24 with 11:56 left in the game, Conner broke loose for a 19-yard run on third-and-18 from the Arizona 13. That gave the Cardinals an unlikely first down, but Conner left the game after the play with what the team listed as a rib injury. He did not return.

Conner, a McDowell High School graduate and former University of Pittsburgh All-American, finished Sunday's game with 52 yards on 15 rushes and 41 yards on six receptions.

The Cardinals (11-6) made the playoffs, but they finished the year on a 1-4 skid.

No details about the severity of Conner's injury were immediately available. He will have an extra day to recover from the injury before Arizona opens the postseason on the road against Los Angeles Rams (12-5) on Monday, Jan. 17.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: James Conner returns to Cardinals, scores 2 TDs, leaves with injury