TEMPE, Ariz. -- If perception is reality then Arizona Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt and rookie running back Beanie Wells are viewing the world from opposite ends.
Wells believes he has a firm grasp of the Arizona offense and belongs on the field, no matter the situation.
Whisenhunt has other thoughts.
"I'm sure he feels he can do everything and I'm not sitting here saying he can't," Whisenhunt said. "But it's just like we do with any young player. When they get to the point where they're ready to play then they'll play."
Wells apparently had not reached that point in the Cardinals' last game, a 31-10 loss to Indianapolis on Sept. 27. He carried the ball two times for minus-2 yards and saw few reps as the Cards (1-2) abandoned the run game for multiple-receiver sets in an effort to rally.
"I can't even begin to wonder what the reasons were," Wells said. "It would help me if I knew why, but it's out of my control because I don't know."
Here's one thought: Wells, the Cards' first-round pick out of Ohio State (31st overall), missed most of training camp with an ankle injury. As a result, he missed a lot of classroom time.
"When you miss four weeks of training camp where you're usually putting the work in and you've got three other [running backs] who did the work, you don't put a young guy in there and risk getting a QB hit," Whisenhunt said. "That's not what a coach does, at least not the ones I've been around.
"There's no difference just because Beanie was a first-round pick."
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Regarded by many as the most powerful tailback in college football, Wells was just the seventh player in Buckeye history to rush for more than 3,000 yards in a career (3,382), while adding 30 touchdowns. His average of 93.94 yards per game was the third-best mark in school history. He also tied Keith Byars for third on OSU's all-time chart with 17, 100-yard rushing performances and was named team MVP his junior season.
Given Whisenhunt's Steelers pedigree, Arizona desperately wanted that dimension to complement its star-studded passing attack of quarterback Kurt Warner and receivers Larry Fitzgerald, Anquan Boldin and Steve Breaston.
And the Cardinals love Wells' potential.
He is averaging 4.4 yards per carry on 16 attempts -- a full yard better than starter Tim Hightower -- and he looks on the verge of breaking big plays almost every time he touches the ball.
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| Beanie Wells: 'I didn't think I was too far behind when the season started anyway ...' (US Presswire) |
"The only issues we have are that some of our protection schemes, especially when we go to three and four receivers, are pretty complex and he hasn't had reps at that," Whisenhunt said. "To think that we're going to put him in a game where he has to cross the backfield and pick up a blitzer is not really logical."
That's not the way Wells sees it.
"You watch practice," he said. "Does it look like I'm missing anything?"
It was assumed that Wells would use the Cardinals' now-concluded bye week to bone up on the things he had missed, but Wells said the bye week was no help.
"Not really," he said. "I didn't think I was too far behind when the season started anyway, and I'm caught up now."
Whisenhunt isn't about to give away game plans, so there's no telling how much action Wells will see Sunday against Houston.
But he isn't the first highly drafted running back to struggle early in his career.
New Orleans' Reggie Bush didn't score a touchdown receiving or rushing in the first half of his rookie season, after winning a Heisman Trophy and a national championship at USC.
Darren McFadden has yet to make his mark in Oakland after a standout career at Arkansas.
And Texas product Cedric Benson spent two mostly wasted years in Chicago before resurrecting his career with Cincinnati.
At the same time, less heralded rookies have made a greater immediate impact. The Bears' Matt Forte was a second-round selection, but led his team in rushing yards (1,238) and was part of a greater percentage of offensive plays last season than any NFL player.
Arizona is currently 31st in the NFL in rushing at 60.7 yards per game and 3.2 per carry. The Cardinals finished last in rushing last season.
To say Arizona needs Wells is an understatement.
"There's no question Beanie's a good football player and he's going to make great contributions to our team," Whisenhunt said.
The question on the lips of every Cardinals fan: When?
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