Beanie Wells set to return
Arizona Cardinals running back Beanie Wells looks set to return to the field on Sunday after missing the first two weeks of the season with a bruised right knee.
Wells managed get through much more of practice on Thursday, increasing his chances of featuring for the Cardinals against the Oakland Raiders this Sunday.
Wells led the Cardinals in rushing as a rookie last season and his presence will be a welcome addition to an offence that has regressed with the retirement of its leader and quarterback Kurt Warner.
The Cardinals are ranked 29th overall in points scored, and 13th overall in rushing yards per-game. If it weren't for a franchise record 80-yard touchdown run by Tim Hightower in week one, their rushing rank
would be considerably lower.
Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said Wells looked, "really good," in practice. Coach Whisenhunt went on to say that he was, "very optimistic," that Wells would be involved against the Raiders.
For his part, Wells said he wasn't even thinking about the injury anymore and felt he was able to practice at full speed.
Wells will most likely return as a backup for current starter Tim Hightower, but will get a fair share of the carries. The Cardinals split carries between the two in Wells' rookie season, but it is generally
expected that Wells will become more of a feature back in his second season. The Cardinals can use the help thus far, as aside from one spectacular run, they haven't been able to put up the consistent performances they'll need. They're 1-1 this year, but their
point differential is a -30, with only 24 points recorded thus far this year.
Wells will be making his season debut against an Oakland Raiders defence that is ranked 29th in the league against the run, allowing opposition running backs to gain 140 yards-per-game.
Wells rushed for 793 yards in his rookie season, finishing second among rookies behind Knowshon Moreno of the Denver Broncos.
Wells also managed to score a touchdown in his first post-season game, a four-yard run against the eventual champion, New Orleans Saints.
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