The Arizona Cardinals defense has been ferocious this season.
Coordinator Todd Bowles' defense has been able to be so aggressive up front, in part because it can rely on cornerback Patrick Peterson to lock down opponents' best receivers.
The matchup against a humming Philadelphia Eagles offense is one of the pivotal clashes of Week 13. Peterson likely will shadow DeSean Jackson in an attempt to take the Eagles' most explosive receiver out of the game.
When asked about Peterson, Eagles receiver Jason Avant said he's a very good player but not a shutdown cornerback because those players don't exist.
"There's no shutdown corners in this league," Avant said, per CSN Philly. "That's just the honest truth. There are very, very, very good players and (Peterson's) a very, very good player and that's just what you have.
"But in this league, with all of the rules and all of the things that that can transpire when the quarterback is accurate, there is no one that can literally be lock down. He's in the top two or three best, but there's still no lockdown (corner)."
Avant is correct that the rules are different from the days of Deion Sanders, but it's all relative. When it comes to players with shutdown skills, able to keep dynamic receivers from making big plays, Peterson is certainly in the conversation with Darrelle Revis and Richard Sherman.
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