Larry Fitzgerald : “Spidey”

Other wide receivers get more publicity. Other wide receivers are considered more dangerous. But is there another wideout you would rather have on your side right this moment than Larry Fitzgerald? Didn’t think so.

They call him “Spidey” down in the desert because of his hands—so sticky and pliable they must be supernatural. Combine those amazing mitts with an off the charts vertical leap and that critical determination to go get balls when double-covered, and you have the best end in the game.

There’s been a lot of talk about how foolish Carolina was in the divisional playoff game, letting Fitz run wild like that in the secondary instead of triple-teaming him. Sure, they could have forfeited the contest by putting half the defense on one man. More to the point is that the home team underestimated Larry’s route-running skills and football smarts. On several of his catches, Fitzgerald broke off the original pattern, sliding into spots in the Carolina zone he sensed would come open as the play developed. Not all receivers would have noticed those holes, or been skilled enough to get to them, often on the dead run. Fewer still could have made that crossing sprint and flat-out dive for the pylon, which resulted in six points for the Redbirds—and signaled that the stunning rout was on.

So while Arizona is an underdog again this weekend, even though they are white hot and playing at home, don’t be shocked if you see Fitzgerald wearing his gloves in his facemask, his personal signal for a victory. Philadelphia will devote a lot of attention to him, at their own risk. And it might not matter how many guys cover him.