The Sports Corner

Larry Fitzgerald vs. Asante Samuel

The game everyone wants to see is the AFC title but the match-up of the weekend is in the NFC Championship game and whoever gets the best of this battle will take their team to the Super Bowl.

Larry Fitzgerald - Wide Receiver, Arizona Cardinals vs. Asante Samuel - Cornerback, Philadelphia Eagles

Fitzgerald - 6′3″ 220 lbs. 25 years old. 

Samuel - 5′10″ 185 lbs. 28 years old. 

Fitzgerald is a great route-runner and he’s physical at the line of scrimmage. He has a huge size advantage in this game and should be able to out-muscle Samuel to get spacing and leverage in goal line situations. He’s an excellent runner in the open field and isn’t easy to tackle. He might have the best hands in the NFL, in any era. 

Samuel has amazing change of direction ability and top notch speed. He’s smooth out of his cuts but tends to take chances and against a quarterback like Warner might get caught off guard on a double move with Fitzgerald’s route running.

He has great ball skills but he’s not going to win any leaping competition with Fitzgerald so he’s going to have to use positioning and the sideline to his advantage on deep balls or Fitzgerald will have a field day. Look for Samuel to try baiting Warner into some short passes so he can step in front of the ball and go for the pick-six. 

Big plays are going to be the key to this match-up. Samuel needs to wrap up at the point of the catch and keep Fitzgerald from RAC yards. The status of Anquan Boldin, the Cardinals’ other physical receiver will also be crucial in this game. If he’s healthy enough to play, it won’t be up to Samuel alone to keep the Cardinals’ passing game in check.