Big Red Blog: Fitz Finally Emerges

Amidst several positive storylines, the most important was the emergence of wideout Larry Fitzgerald who reeled in nine balls for 114 yards and a score against Philadelphia.

Fitz Finally Emerges

Posted by Brad Wilbricht
Tuesday, September 25 - 9:00 AM

For the third straight week the Cardinals were underdogs against their opponent and for the third straight week they managed to pull off the upset. Sunday’s contest against the Eagles, however, didn’t seem like much of an upset as Arizona dominated the game from start to finish en route to a 27-6 victory.

While there were several successes for the Cardinals, the most important storyline was the emergence of wideout Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald had been held in check during the first two games of the year (5 catches for 67 yards) but reeled in nine balls for 114 yards and a score against Philadelphia. It was just a matter of time before he got back involved with the offense and that’s exactly what happened on Sunday.

Fitzgerald was targeted nine times and finally got lose on a handful of big plays. His play of the day came on a short crossing route where he cut back and scampered for a 37-yard gain. After struggling in his first game with QB Kevin Kolb under center, the two finally showed a chemistry which should bode well for the rest of the season.

Working in tandem with Fitzgerald was Kolb – who arguably put forth his best performance in a Cardinals uniform. Kolb was ultra sharp completing 17-of-24 passes for 222 yards along with two touchdowns. He compiled a QB rating of 127.4 and refrained from committing a single turnover against his former team.

Another bright spot came on the ground with RB Ryan Williams. Although most of Williams’ damage came with the game well out of reach, he rushed for a career-high 83 yards on 13 carries. Williams could be in line for heavier workload in the coming weeks as Beanie Wells went down with an apparent turf toe injury.

Overshadowed by the offensive success was the continued excellence displayed by the Arizona defense. The Cardinals forced three turnovers, including a game changing play on the last play of the first half. With the Eagles deep in Arizona territory, Kerry Rhodes came off the edge on a blitz and forced a Michael Vick fumble – which was picked up and returned for a touchdown by James Sanders. Philadelphia was never able to recover.

---

Questions or comments? Contact Brad Wilbricht at

---

blog comments powered by Disqus

---

Questions or comments? Contact Brad Wilbricht at

---

blog comments powered by Disqus