Back when Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer was sidelined by a shoulder injury -- a three-game period that spanned Weeks 2-5 -- running back Andre Ellington did well enough, twice going for more than 100 total yards and turning in his lone two-touchdown effort. But he was healthier then. Fresher. Forced to miss Wednesday practices all year because of a foot injury (and more recently, a hip injury), Ellington's conditioning and understanding of the game plan have suffered, coach Bruce Arians recently pointed out. And it couldn't be more evident in his numbers.
Week 12 at Seattle was his third straight game with less than three yards per carry. He ran 10 times for 24 yards. It was also his third straight with less than 70 total yards. He added 39 on five catches.
Granted, the last two have come against especially tough defenses and with no help from the passing game, but Ellington had every reason to succeed Week 10 against St. Louis. His struggles combined with Arians' comments are reason to wonder if you can rely on him to close out the season.
He deserves one last chance Week 13 at Atlanta, but if he struggles then, we'll know it's not just a matchups thing.