FLORHAM PARK, N.J. _ Larry Fitzgerald is 33, in his 13th NFL season, and through five games has 31 catches, 361 yards and five touchdown receptions _ the same number of touchdowns as the entire Jets team.
But when you listen to NFL people discuss the Cardinals receiver, it quickly becomes evident that he is more than merely a still-productive wideout for a man his age. He is among the most respected players in the NFL on and off the field.
Asked Friday to tell a Fitzgerald story, Jets coach and former Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles smiled and said: "I don't have any bad ones. Larry's one of those guys who you look up his past and everything else and it looks squeaky clean _ as far as I know. Larry's been nothing but great to me ... He's a very giving person off the field.
"He's very respectful, a very competitive guy on the field, works at it, very intelligent. Him and Brandon are similar that way. But I don't have anything bad to say about Larry."
Nor did anyone else in the facility as the Jets and their oft-burned secondary prepared to deal with a second consecutive elite receiver challenge, first the Steelers' Antonio Brown.
Darrelle Revis, like Fitzgerald a former Pitt player, hopes to assist in the cause. He practiced on a limited basis Friday and was pleased with the progress of the hamstring injury that kept him out last weekend. "Following his career and actually matching up against him a few times, he's a Hall of Famer in my book," Revis said. "He's reached every pinnacle you can as a receiver and he's always been consistent. He's a guy that _ no disrespect to Carson Palmer _ but he's been there for a long time. He's the guy in that offense that makes them run."
Said cornerback Buster Skrine: "Very crafty. He knows how to get open. And he knows he's a bigger receiver, so if he gets you a little bit, he'll outreach you for the ball. He's got great hands. A lot of time you see people draped all over him and he still makes the catch."
"They're going to attack downfield," Revis said. "We understand that as a secondary and as a defense. Teams have been doing it, so we're definitely aware of that."
Is Skrine confident they still are up to another tough task? "Yeah, we're still confident," he said. Why? "Because we're defensive backs. You can't play defensive back and not be confident."
