In the Arizona Cardinals» 23-22 loss against the Minnesota Vikings, 18 players participated in at least one of 82 offensive snaps.
How was playing time distributed? Below we have the numbers for everyone who entered the game on offense, broken down by position.
The first number after each name is the snap and the second is the percentage. Players in bold were starters.
Strategist
Kyler Murray 82/100
Didn’t play: Clayton Tune
Murray played well enough to win, but failed for several reasons. He completed 31 of 45 passes for 260 yards and a touchdown, but two interceptions dropped his passer rating to 72.5. On the first, Murray said, “I was trying to throw the ball. It was all me. On the second, the Cardinals’ final offensive play, it came down to a fourth-and-10 prayer to wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who wasn’t open.
Running back
James Conner 48/59, Emari Demercado 22/27, Trey Benson 13/16
Did not play: RB DeeJay Dallas (played only on special teams)
Conner had 81 yards from scrimmage (68 rushing) and while there were some good runs, and it was better than the previous week against Seattle, there were too many unproductive plays where there was nowhere where to run. He had just 23 yards on eight carries at halftime and for the game there were seven runs of two yards or less with two for fewer yards.
Some note the 154 rushing yards in the game as evidence that the ground game was very good, but that doesn’t take into account that 48 came from Murray. Running backs had 23 attempts for 100 yards. Not bad, but not great either. Conner is now ninth on the franchise’s all-time list with 3,347 yards after passing Ollie Matson (3,331). He is 28 behind Wayne Morris and 91 after catching Terry Metcalf.
Wide receiver
Marvin Harrison Jr.72/88, Michael Wilson 67/82, Zay Jones 32/39, Greg Dortch 19/23
Did not play: Zach Pascal (played only on special teams)
Inactive: Xavier Weaver
There’s still no consistent connection between Murray and Harrison, who had 12 targets but only caught five for 60 yards with a 15-yard touchdown. At times he seems unaware that the ball is coming his way and has not yet mastered back shoulder throws or returning for the ball.
Wilson made another exceptional grab (22 yards) and finished the day with five receptions for 55 yards on seven targets. Jones went without a catch, but took a 38-yard pass interference penalty one play before Harrison’s score. Dortch isn’t making the plays he made last season. He had one yard on two catches due to a minus-2 play and has 25 receptions for 193 yards (7.7 average) for the season.
Tight end
Trey McBride 77/94Tip Reiman 34/41, Elijah Higgins 25/30
Inactive: Travis Vokolek
McBride had his second straight game with 12 catches (on 12 targets), the first time that has happened in NFL history. Vikings head coach Kevin O’Connell said afterward: “He’s basically there on a lot of those downs, acting as the third wide receiver underneath; catch and run. Tons of yards after the catch.
Reiman had a difficult afternoon with three false starts, although the last one was very questionable.
Offensive line
LT Paris Johnson Jr. 82/100, LG Evan Brown 82/100, C Hjalte Froholdt 82/100, RT Jonah Williams 82/100, RG Trystan Colon 67/82, RG Isaiah Adams 15/18, T Kelvin Beachum 1/1
Did not play: C Jon Gaines II (played only on special teams)
Inactive: T Christian Jones
Injured reserve: G Will Hernandez (eligible to return, but will not), T Carter O’Donnell
The line was better than the week before, but it still struggled at times, although that often happens to units facing the Minnesota defense. Colon and Adams shared snaps at right guard, and Adams had a crucial first-and-10 call with the ball at the Vikings’ 14-yard line in the second quarter.
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This article was originally published on Cards Wire: Cardinals Week 13 Offensive Snap Count, Observations vs. Vikings
