Larry Fitzgerald is a Grown Ass Man

I often refer to players who have stepped up to the superstar level as Grown Ass Men.

Tom Brady is a Grown Ass Man, Michael Jordan the Grownest of Men, Peyton Manning loath as I am to admit is a Grown Ass Man, as is Kobe.

On Saturday with my money riding against him ( I was in Vegas it was legal) Larry Fitzgerald became a Grown Ass Man.

He torched the second seeded ( and heavily favored) Panthers secondary for 8 catches for an eye popping 161 yards. Re-read that. He had 130 yards in the first half as The Cardinals turned the game into a blowout and handed The Panthers their first loss at home this year.

It's my opinion that Fitzgerald took the opportunity to seize the crown from the last guy to wear the title " League's BEST wide reciever." That's right on the opposite sideline was another Grown Ass Man of a wideout. Carolina's Steve Smith. While he seems like a thug from the whole ya know coldcocking his teammate thing, Smith is a beast. Remember the playoff game against Chicago where he single handedly sent The Bears home? Remember him going up and making plays against bigger cornerbacks consistently for the last 3-5 years? Steve Smith was the best reciever in the league. Until now.

Fitzgerald snatched the crown and at least 3 highlight reel catches including a touchdown you have to see to believe. Fitzgerald combines the physicality of a Terrell Owens with the smarts of a Hines Ward. He's tall, he can jump, he's got great hands, speed and instincts. Watch the way he ALWAYS stretches the ball out toward the goal line. Watch the ability to go up in traffic and make circus catches CONSISTENTLY. He's unreal. The only reciever even close in the league is a motivated Randy Moss. And if Moss was always motivated he would by the greatest reciever of all time by far. No disrespect to Jerry Rice, who worked really hard and was amazing, no Reciever has ever been more feared by a defense than Moss. He just doesn't have it mentally. He's just kinda a frontrunner, and I say this as a HUGE Moss fan. Fitzgerald has always competed even before The Cards were relevant.

The best thing about this game was not just watching a player who was supposed to be good jump a level. I've watched Fitzgerald a few times and seen his numbers for the last few years, but no one really knew how good he was, cause he was on ya know... The Cardinals. On a National stage, missing his almost as equally talented partner Anquan Boldin, with an anemic running game and the always in danger of meltdown Kurt Warner, Fitzgerald stepped up. The only way The Cards win this game are if Fitzgerald goes off. And he did. That's what the great ones do. It's what Moss hasn't done yet, it's what (gulp) Terrell Owens did in the Super Bowl a few years ago. He imposed his will on a situation. Not to mention a defense that should have been double teaming and spying him all day but didn't until the second half when they were down 20. That was almost as amazing of a subplot as Fitzgerald making the leap... Who else are you scared of on The Cards? Edgerrin James? Kurt Warner? Steve Breaston? How do you not double a guy who's supposedly one of the best in the league. Especially without Boldin to make you pay for it. The Panthers must have talked themselves into some crazy logic. I imagine it went like this:

John Fox: Edge really looked explosive in that game against the Falcons.
Mike Trgovac: Yeah and you remember when Edge was 23? He could beat you.
John Fox: Yeah and the more Kurt Warner throws it, the more he'll throw picks right?
Mike Trgovac: Yeah we want him throwing, we should bait him by single covering Larry Fitzgerald. They'll NEVER see it coming!
John Fox: Not double Fitzgerald? Brillant! Let's get back to this Guinness!

Seriously?

And now Boldin should be back for The NFC championship game which The Cards are hosting in a dome. Remember that Warner has gotten to The Super Bowl before in a dome, in St Louis. And now you have to single cover the best reciever in the league with his confidence sky high. If I'm Ken Whisenhunt I'm throwing to Fitzgerald 15-20 times this game and not even pretending to have a running game. You're not gonna run on Philly anyway, and they're not gonna run much if Westbrook is hurt. Air it out this week. This is one of those situations where the best player on the field can affect the game. It's what Bill Simmons would call an Alpha Dog game. Let Fitzgerald get the ball in his hands and see if he can win the game for you. He's the best player on the field Sun. If I'm the Cardinals I don't wanna foget that.

T