“Edge” of sanity: James isn’t first RB to struggle for Cardinals

By Paul Eide  |   Thursday, November 30, 2006  |  Comments( 1 )

Arizona Cardinals
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Certain roles in sports are synonymous with production no matter who fills the position -- first basemen for the Yankees, quarterbacks at USC and running backs for the Denver Broncos -- while others are destined to fail.

Arizona Cardinals head coach Dennis Green may shoulder most of the blame for his team's struggles, but even before his arrival, the position of starting at running back for the Cardinals had already laid claim to the title of "Least-Coveted Job in Sports."

For whatever reason, running backs for the Cardinals are enveloped in mediocrity the moment they get off the plane in Arizona. The team has produced a meager three 1,000-yard rushers in the last 20 years, essentially making Arizona a place where running backs go to die.

During those 20 years, the leading rusher for each season averaged 773 rushing yards on 3.7 yards per carry while scoring four touchdowns.

The last guy to gain 1,000 yards in the desert? Adrian Murrell in 1998, barely scraping past the mark, ending with 1,042. While Murrell's 1998 season got everyone's hopes up, it was followed by a '99 campaign of only 553 yards; it also established a trend of "one-hit wonder" running backs that the team has become know for.

Garrison Hearst, the previous Cardinals' back to eclipse the mark, set an Arizona record in '95 rushing with 1,070 yards, but then swiftly left town the following season, signing as a free agent with Cincinnati.

The only other 1,000-yard season of the last 20 years was delivered by rookie Ronald Moore in 1993, who picked up 1,018. Despite that, Moore was out of football shortly after.

The 20-year production average for Cards running backs is what current RB Edgerrin James used to accumulate in about eight games during his seven-season tenure with the Colts, but this year it's going to take him at least 12 to do so.

James has 695 rushing yards, an average of 59 a game, putting him on pace for 990 on the season. James is slightly above the 20-year average, but would probably give back every dime of his $30 million deal signed in the offseason to wear a blue jersey again.

James has been a part of two of the most dubious records that exist for running backs in the NFL: Against the Bears in Week 3, he carried the ball 36 times for 55 yards, establishing a record for the least-productive day by a running back in NFL history; Last week during a 31-26 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, the Cardinals tied an NFL team record for fewest rushing attempts in a game with six, a record that was originally set in 1933.

"I don't know what to say, man," James said after the game. "We were passing the ball on every down, I guess."

Obviously James hasn't caught on yet. By the time he fulfills his contractual obligations, he'll probably know why: The Cardinals are doomed.
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