In a tough loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3, the Arizona Cardinals were without starting tailback Beanie Wells. Wells suffered a hamstring injury in last Thursday’s practice that caused him to miss the game on Sunday against a division rival. The hamstring injury was very concerning to the team and coaching staff, as Wells missed significant time last year to a knee injury. In an effort to play it safe with Wells, coach Ken Whisenhunt decided to sit Wells in the contest with the Seahawks.
The Cards leaned on reserve running backs Alfonso Smith and Chester Taylor to shoulder the load against the Seahawks. They were both largely ineffective, as both running backs combined for a total of 74 yards on 25 carries. Arizona did not get the production they needed out of the running game this past Sunday, as they continually faced third and long situations that resulted in punts all afternoon.
On Thursday of this week, Coach Whisenhunt explained to the media that Wells should return this weekend against the Giants. While it is too early in the week to know for sure, we should be able to determine if Wells will play by the number of reps he receives in practice on Friday and Saturday. The Cardinals will need to get Wells back if they want to have a good chance to defeat the New York Giants in Week 4. Without the presence of Wells in the backfield, the Giants will likely double and triple team star wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, forcing the Cards to run the ball with second tier running backs.
In other Arizona Cardinals injury news, tight end Todd Heap was limited in practice on Wednesday. Heap was targeted often in Week 3 by quarterback Kevin Kolb, and he hauled in six total catches for 61 yards. The nature of the injury is unknown at this time, but if Heap misses more practice, expect Whisenhunt to notify the media of the issue. Heap will likely be used early and often this week against the Giants if he can play because the Giants have been very susceptible to the tight end this year. In Week 1 against the Redskins, Fred Davis torched the Giants secondary for 105 yards on 5 catches. The Cardinals would love to see this kind of production from Heap, so the coaching staff is hoping he can back to practicing in full on Thursday.
Finally, running back LaRod Stephens-Howling, who has missed time with a hand and biceps injury is tentatively expected to play on Sunday as well. With Smith and Taylor struggling in the backfield, Stephens-Howling could provide an added boost to the Arizona running game. In fact, it’s quite possible that if he returns, he could take the backup role from Taylor permanently. If he and Beanie Wells can return, Stephens-Howling will likely fill in as the third-down back. With his amazing speed, Stephens-Howling is always a threat to take it to the house when he touches the ball.
