Larry Fitzgerald had five catches for 41 yards in the Cardinals' 23-20 win over the Vikings on Thursday night, but the receiver's game won't be remembered for any highlight grab he had.
Instead, his evening will be remembered for a pancake block that sprung Michael Floyd for a 42-yard touchdown early in the second half.
In a quirky third-and-eight play where the Vikings blew a coverage, both Fitzgerald and Floyd were wide open near the sideline for the first down. They were so open, Carson Palmer admitted he didn't even know who to throw the ball to.
"Both guys were open and they're both so close together I kind of just threw it in between them and hoped one of them would catch it," the Cardinals quarterback said.
Floyd hauled it in, and Fitzgerald decided to pave the way for him. The big wideout blasted Vikings safety Anthony Harris into the grass, springing Floyd for the big touchdown.
After the game, Fitzgerald joked that should have been his TD.
"Mike was in my reception area, but to add insult to injury, then he made me have to block for him to get into the end zone," Fitzgerald said with a smile. "So he was running with the ball that I was supposed to have, and it was an interesting play. But it worked out for us. It's always good to have a good laugh in a win."
The play was yet another microcosm of Fitzgerald's Hall of Fame career. Yes, he's the youngest player in NFL history to rack up 1,000 catches, and yes, he's produced highlight after highlight in his 12 years in the league. But he's also been unselfish. Swallowing his pride and moving to slot receiver this year, and then becoming arguably the top blocking wideout in the league, it's not surprising he aided one of the biggest plays in the Cardinals' win that clinched their 2016 playoff bid.
"I remember letting the ball go and seeing Larry in front of him and I was like, 'Oh, he might score,'" Palmer said. "Just because that's what Larry does. He got down and he made that play happen."
