Larry Fitzgerald consistently shrugs off the talk whenever he doesn’t get a lot of passes in a game.
“I know I’ll get my opportunities,” he has said more than once.
The Pro Bowl wide receiver knows he’s right. And often, it means a bounce-back game is coming, like Fitzgerald had Sunday against Philadelphia, leading to his second NFC Offensive Player of the Week award in two seasons.
Despite Fitzgerald’s burgeoning résumé, those are the only two weekly awards Fitzgerald has won in his career and it’s only the third time an offensive Cardinal has won it over the past decade. Quarterback Kurt Warner earned the award in Week 13 of the 2009 season. Before that, the last Card to win it was QB Jake Plummer during the 2000 season. He's the first receiver in Cardinals' history to win the award more than once.
Fitzgerald had nine catches for 114 yards and a touchdown, easily his best game of the young season. Fitzgerald's award last season also came against Philadelphia.
Fitzgerald also made his 700th career catch against Philadelphia, becoming the youngest player ever in NFL history to reach that mark. Fitzgerald, who Patriots coach Bill Belichick said the week before could be the best wide receiver ever, downplayed his milestone noting that Jerry Rice still has double the amount of receptions.
The Cardinals need Fitzgerald to keep up a steady pace, however.
“(The coaches) are continually force-feeding me new opportunities,” Fitzgerald said. “As a player, you really look forward to that, and you really relish the opportunity when given the chance.”
Fitzgerald had just one catch in Week 2 in New England.
“We are still a work in progress, but it’s a lot better to get Larry more catches than one this week,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “That’s a good place to be.”
