Fitzgerald, Boldin among NFL’s elite receiver duo
As he settled into the couch, Fred Smoot smiled and started talking. A man with no worries. Considering the topic, smiles weren’t expected. Then again, Smoot and the Redskins’ defensive backs view Sunday’s differently.
They welcome what they’re about to face: two of the top receivers (Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin) in the NFL. Not to mention a hot quarterback (Kurt Warner) who doubles as a former league MVP.
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“I love it man, I love it,” Smoot said. “These are guys you get to measure yourself with. This is one of the best duos in the NFL right now. If we can shut these guys out, we’ll let you all do the rest of the rankings.”
It’s also the first in a long line of games against the best receivers in the league. In the next seven games, the Redskins will face Dallas’ Terrell Owens twice, St. Louis’ Torry Holt; Cleveland’s Braylon Edwards, Detroit’s Calvin Johnson and Roy Williams and Pittsburgh’s Hines Ward and Santonio Holmes.
The trick, Sunday, is stopping an offense that has gained 40 first downs and 730 yards in the first two games, albeit against San Francisco and Miami.
Fitzgerald and Boldin offer different problems. Boldin is more of a possession receiver, but the Cardinals move him around a lot and he can be explosive — he has a 79-yard touchdown catch among his 14 receptions. He’s best at running after the catch.
Fitzgerald (nine catches, 184 yards) is more acrobatic and dynamic.
“Give him one on one coverage and he’ll beat nine out of 10 corners in this league,” Redskins defensive coordinator Greg Blache said of Fitzgerald.
“We’re a man to man team,” Smoot said, “we’re not gonna stop. If you can mess their timing up, you got a chance. It will take a lot of me, Carlos [Rogers] and Shawn [Springs] at the line of scrimmage.
“Big, strong guys like to get into their routes. If you can get in between these guys and the ball, you can make plays.”
Last season, the Redskins altered coverages and used lots of two-deep safeties in a 21-19 win over Arizona. But Warner played with torn ligaments in his elbow and still threw for 282 yards — only 126 to Fitzgerald and Boldin.
The Redskins’ offense must do their part by controlling the ball. But, defensively, the Redskins need to disrupt Warner’s rhythm. As Blache said, Warner — who has a 128.5 rating after two games — is squeezing passes into tight areas — “Like parking a Mack truck in a regular parking spot,” he said.
“Pressure makes [quarterbacks] do strange things,” Redskins end Jason Taylor said. “It’s incumbent on us to get pressure to him. The way he’s playing now, it could be a long day.”
