“That’s our job as coaches,” Petzing said when asked about the ramp up for guys like Williams. The big question for Williams this week is simple: Can he prove to the coaching staff that he is up to speed enough to be elevated on game day? But since his time with the Chiefs, opportunities in the ground game have been few and far between for the running back, with just 42 rushing attempts for 166 yards and two touchdowns across two seasons with the Chicago Bears (12 games played) and Atlanta Falcons (one).

When given the chance, Williams has shown he can produce. He also got it done as a pass catcher behind 22 catches for 185 yards and four more scores. Williams, despite getting to town last week, remains an intriguing option given his body of work when the games count the most.ĭubbed “playoff Damien” for a reason, Williams racked up 355 yards and six touchdowns on 81 carries for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2018-19 (five games played). There’s also under-the-radar practice squad signing and running back Damien Williams to consider elevating to the 53-man roster. He’s also caught one pass for eight yards. In three games played this season, the second-year pro out of USC has ran the rock 12 times for 15 yards and a 1.3-yard average. When healthy, Ingram has handled the bulk of the backup duties behind Conner, though the results have been less than stellar. Then you have Ingram, who is currently listed on the Cardinals’ unofficial depth chart as the team’s RB1 despite missing the past two games with a neck issue and not logging a full day of practice in nearly two weeks. It was impressive to see honestly.” Is Keaontay Ingram the key?

I kind of gave him a little chat on the sideline and he was good to go. “But he’s ready to step in there and play football. “He’s been playing a little bit on third down and depending on what happens with the backs here, his role might tick up a little bit.

“He was ready,” the head coach said Monday. The moment didn’t appear too big for the young runner from head coach Jonathan Gannon’s standpoint. With Conner exiting in the second quarter and backup Keaontay Ingram inactive due to a neck injury, undrafted rookie Emari Demercado got the nod for more than two quarters of play.Īnd for the most part, he seized the opportunity, rushing for 45 yards and the first NFL touchdown of his career on 10 carries while adding a catch for 12 yards. The next guy’s got to step up, got to know his role, got to understand the offense and what we’re trying to accomplish.”Īs for who that “next guy” might be, there are a few options to consider for Petzing, beginning with the running back who finished last Sunday’s loss for the home team. “(RBs coach Autry Denson) does a great job of getting those guys ready and I think you saw that when (Conner) went out of the game.

“I trust everybody in that room,” the OC added. “I think all those guys (in the running backs room) are going to step up and take a part of that role and I’m excited to see them do that but that’s something we got to work through as the week goes.” Nobody’s going to fill James’ shoes perfectly,” Petzing said Tuesday. Not only does Arizona lose out on Conner’s ability as a runner - 68 carries for 364 yards and two touchdowns - it also misses out on the on-field leadership and the heart that comes with the veteran. Arizona Cardinals show signs of regression in loss to Bengals

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