Arizona Cardinals Finally Showed They Have a Rushing Offense

When a team like the Arizona Cardinals has nearly nothing of something, winning anything—a game, a division, a championship—requires overcoming a significant handicap.

The Cardinals weren’t getting something or anything from their rushing offense this season, and they certainly weren’t getting adequacy either.

Then suddenly during Sunday’s 17-14 white-knuckle win over the Kansas City Chiefs, a hero rose from the smoldering backfield rubble. Previously this unknown crusader was little more than a practice-squad stash, football’s equivalent of a lottery ticket. In a surprise move, he was promoted Friday, with running back Michael Bush released.

Meet Kerwynn Williams, the man who resuscitated a running game.

Williams finished with 100 rushing yards on 19 carries Sunday, a hearty pace of 5.3 yards per attempt.

How many career regular-season carries had he logged before Week 14? Zero. After nearly going undrafted in 2013 (Williams was selected by the Indianapolis Colts in the seventh round, sneaking in at 230th overall), his only game action has come on special teams.

How many regular-season offensive snaps had Williams logged before Week 14? Zero. Though head coach Bruce Arians clearly liked what he saw on film and during practice, Williams was a long shot, a half-court heave for a team so desperate to hear that sweet swish sound.

The Cardinals also would have settled for a fluky bank shot, because times are still dark and dire. After Sunday’s win, Arians confirmed pregame speculation that regular starting running back Andre Ellington will miss the remainder of the regular season and playoffs. Ellington has been placed on injured reserve due to a sports hernia, per Darren Urban of Cardinals.com.

It’s yet another powerful right hook to a team bruised and beaten beyond all recognition this season.

Right now you’re likely experiencing a wave of shock after a diminutive 5’8” running back couldn’t handle one of the league’s heaviest workloads (Ellington was averaging 20.5 touches per game). Slow and deep breathing should help with that, but let’s not dwell on the past.

No, instead let’s look forward and to Williams, the next potential glittering gem on Arizona’s forever rotating “next man up” wheel of misfortune.

In his first meaningful NFL game action, Williams accounted for more than a quarter of the Cardinals’ offense (27.3 percent), highlighted by chunk gains for 15 and 16 yards. Though Ellington is more versatile as a pass-catcher, he didn’t record a 100-plus-yard week over 12 complete games (he suffered a hip injury in the second quarter of Week 13).

Ellington was also averaging only 3.3 yards per carry, sputtering that can at least partly be blamed on his aforementioned habit of breaking this season. Regardless of the cause, Arizona needed a solution, and fast.

For now, Williams is the answer.

Games(s)	Rushing Yards	Yards/Carry
Week 14	141 (season high)	4.3
Averages over previous 12 games	74.8	3.1

That rushing average against the Chiefs is still, well, average. But average is an accomplishment for an offense that had little more than spiraling nothingness in the backfield to support backup quarterback Drew Stanton. Over Stanton’s three most recent starts since Palmer’s season ended, the Cardinals had totaled only 153 rushing yards.

Stanton has been equal parts wild and impressive, along with everything in between during his time as the next fresh body on the depth chart. Sunday’s win was a microcosm of his entire season: Stanton completed only 50 percent of his pass attempts, but some of the 15 he did connect on (like a 46-yarder to wide receiver Michael Floyd and a 26-yard game-winning touchdown pass to wideout Jaron Brown) showed pinpoint accuracy and ball placement.

That’s who Stanton is, and there won’t be an overnight epiphany where he suddenly morphs into a different quarterback. Winning games is difficult with that kind of inconsistency at the most important offensive position, and winning in January with Stanton still feels like a task far too steep.

But if a viable running game returns, you have permission to dream those big dreams.

We need to tread carefully here, and use soft words like "potential" regarding Williams after a single game against an inferior run defense. Though the Cardinals will gladly welcome any and all rushing victories, Kansas City’s run defense has been atrocious since inside linebacker Derrick Johnson tore his Achilles. The Chiefs are now giving up 4.9 yards per carry, tied for league-worst.

The running road ahead gets much tougher over the final three weeks as the Cardinals try to maintain their two-fingertip grasp on the NFC West division lead. With games against the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers and St. Louis Rams, Williams’ status as Arizona’s newest elusive running back with great change-of-direction ability (and he certainly has both of those things in abundance) will be tested.

All three remaining defenses on the schedule are currently ranked among the top 10 against the run. But to support Stanton and keep pass-rushers honest, the Cardinals’ backfield—led by Williams now, at least temporarily—doesn’t need to constantly churn out chunky yardage and long gains.

No, instead it needs to be adequate, and provide something that’s far more than nothing.