Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is enjoying a renaissance season in 2015, his 12th year in the NFL.
Through eight games, his 55 catches for 706 yards and seven touchdowns are highs on one of the League's top offenses in terms of yards (417.4, 3rd NFL) and points (32.9, 2nd NFL) per game. It's a campaign Fitzgerald hopes doesn't come to a screeching halt this Sunday at Seattle's CenturyLink Field, where he'll meet cornerback Richard Sherman and the rest of Seattle's Legion of Boom of defense.
"I haven't had 1,000 yards in three years, I hope he doesn't follow me," Fitzgerald told AZCardinals.com of Sherman potentially shadowing him on Sunday Night Football. "Old, grizzly, washed-up veteran. He can follow [Michael Floyd] or something, [John Brown]."
Whether or not Sherman will stick to Fitzgerald on the field this weekend remains to be seen, but it's a tactic the Seahawks have used against some of the other top wideouts on their schedule, namely San Francisco's Torrey Smith (zero catches) in a Week 7 win at Levi's Stadium and Dallas' Dez Bryant (two catches, 12 yards) in a Week 8 win at AT&T Stadium. But Fitzgerald's comment speaks to the appreciation the Pro Bowlers have developed for one another since Sherman entered the NFL in 2011, with the two players annually competing in each other's charity softball games.
"It's always been respect," Sherman said of his relationship with Fitzgerald. "We've always had respect for one another since I was a rookie. We've obviously grown in our knowledge of one another. In the offseason we got to hang out a few times going to one another's charity events and other people's charity events. So I guess it's grown in some ways, just furthering getting to know him."
The Seahawks won both matchups against the division-rival Cardinals last year, but each time Arizona was starting a backup quarterback. Starting signal caller Carson Palmer, healthy now after an ACL injury kept him from facing the Seahawks last year, leads Arizona into the Pacific Northwest in the midst of what Seattle coach Pete Carroll has labeled Palmer's "very best" season yet, and one that Fitzgerald has been benefitting from.
Seattle lost the last time it played against Palmer, a 17-10 game in Week 16 of 2013. Palmer led a game-winning touchdown drive that day, but also tossed four picks, two of which went Sherman's way. The Seahawks cornerback doesn't have a single takeaway this season, but that's something that could change this weekend given the amount of shots Arizona's offense likes to take at players like Fitzgerald downfield.
"He's as good as they come, just in terms of his skill level and ability, and then you couple that with his intelligence, he's really, really special," Fitzgerald said of Sherman. "Got great ball skills. He's not afraid to tackle in the run game, he's very active in the run game, will come up and hit anybody.
"You really don't see any holes in his game, you just try not to make many mistakes around him."
Sherman's review of what has made Fitzgerald such a great player for so long was equally as complimentary.
"He's consistent," Sherman said. "He catches the football, and hands are a receiver's greatest asset. He's durable. He's been playing a lot of games, you don't miss a lot of games. He's reliable, big plays in big games and clutch situations, he's been in all of them. And he's crafty, he knows what he does well and knows what he doesn't do well and he stays away from what he doesn't do well, and he stays where he's comfortable.
"That's what the makeup of a good football player is, is knowing your strengths and weaknesses, and staying away from your weaknesses, or correcting them."
Sherman, though, let it be known that his ties to Fitzgerald wouldn't influence what happens on the field this Sunday night.
"Not really," Sherman said. "In this league, you see everybody and know everybody by your fifth or sixth year if you're blessed to play this long. But you go out there and you've got a job to do. You're a dog, no matter who you play. It's not, 'I'm going to get up for Larry and not get up for a guy I don't know.' So it's the same.
"He's a Hall-of-Famer, so you've obviously got to be on your toes when you play him."
32 regular season games. 16 wins for the Seahawks. 16 wins for the Cardinals. Take a look back at the photos and scores from each game before their rubber match this Sunday night at CenturyLink Field.
Phoenix Cardinals quarterback Gary Hogeboom can't find a receiver due to heavy defensive pressure from Seattle Seahawks (92) David Wyman and (72) Joe Nash during action in their pre-season game, Aug. 12, 1989 in Tempe, Arizona. The Seahawks proved too much for the Cardinals after the game went into overtime and lost 16-10. (AP Photo/Chad Surmick)
Running back Ron Moore (30) of the Phoenix Cardinals is held to a one yard gain as he is tackled by Cortez Kennedy (96) of the Seattle Seahawks during the third quarter of their NFL game in Seattle, Washington, Dec. 19, 1993. Watching the play is Joe Wolf (68) of the Cardinals. Phoenix beat Seattle in overtime, 30-27. (AP Photo/Bill Chan)
Seattle Seahawks tight end Trey Junkin (83) runs a pass pattern during an NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals in Tempe, Oct. 29, 1995. The Cardinals defeated the Seahawks 20-14 at Sun Devil Stadium. (AP Photo/NFL Photos)
Arizona Cardinals Chris Gedney (84) takes in a pass while in the grasp of Seattle Seahawks Fred Thomas (22) and goes for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, Sept. 13, 1998 in Seattle. The play went 23 yards but wasnt enough as Seattle won the game 33-14. (AP Photo/Jay Drowns)
Arizona Cardinals' Thomas Jomes evades a diving Seattle Seahawks' Reggie Tongue to run 58 yards for a touchdown during the third quarter in the Cardinals 24-13 win over the Seahawks in Seattle Sunday Sept. 15, 2002. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Arizona Cardinals running back Marcel Shipp (31) is surrounded by Seattle Seahawks defenders November 10, 2002 at Sun Devils Stadium. The Seahawks defeated the Cardinals 27 - 6. (AP Photo / Al Messerschmidt)
Arizona Cardinals punter Scott Player (10) punts during a week 10 NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks in Phoenix, Arizona on November 10, 2002. The Seahawks defeated the Cardinals 27-6. (AP Photo/Scott Boehm)
Seattle Seahawks' Bobby Engram returns a punt for 48 yards with Arizona Cardinals' Quentin Harris chasing during the second quarter in Seattle Sunday Dec. 26, 2004. The return set up the first Seattle touchdown as the go on to win, 24-21. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seattle Seahawks kicker Josh Brown, top, knocks the ball out of the end zone to avoid a touchdown as Arizona Cardinals' Gerald Hayes, rear, and Renaldo Hill, rear right, pursue, after Brown had his punt blocked in the fourth quarter Sunday, Oct. 24, 2004, in Tempe, Ariz. The Cardinals got a safety on the play in their 25-17 win. (AP Photo/Roy Dabner)
Arizona Cardinals Josh McCown making a play with the ball in a game verse the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday December 26, 2004 in Seattle. (AP Photo/Kevin Reece)
Seattle Seahawks safety Ken Hamlin, left, and Kelly Herdon, background right, break up a pass intended for Arizona Cardinals' Anquan Boldin during the first quarter Sunday, Sept. 25, 2005, in Seattle. (AP Photo/John Froschauer)
Seattle Seahawks Andre Dyson, rear, pulls down Arizona Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald after a short gain during the first quarter Sunday, Nov. 6, 2005 at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Seattle Seahawks punter Ryan Plackemeier kicks from the end zone against the Arizona Cardinals during the third quarter of a football game in Seattle, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2006. the Seahawks won 21-10. (AP Photo//John Froschauer)
Arizona Cardinals Larry Fitzgerald, rear, pulls down a touchdown pass as Seattle Seahawks' Marcus Trufant (23) defends during the fourth quarter of their football game Sunday, Dec. 10, 2006, in Glendale, Ariz. The Cardinals won, 27-21. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
Arizona Cardinals' Calvin Pace, rear right, Darnell Dockett, left, and Antonio Smith, center, pursue Seattle Seahawks' quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (8) during the first quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Sept. 16, 2007 in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Seattle Seahawks' Rocky Bernard, bottom left, trips-up Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner (13) as Julian Peterson (59) slams into him from above during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 9, 2007, in Seattle. The play was ruled as a sack and the quarterback down before the ball was loose. The Seahawks won, 42-21. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
SEATTLE - NOVEMBER 16: Running back Julius Jones #22 of the Seattle Seahawks gets pulled down against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday November 16, 2008 in Seattle, Washington. The Cardinals won the game 26-20. (AP Photo/Thomas E. Witte) Julius Jones
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Courtney Taylor has his pass broken up by Arizona Cardinals' Roderick Hod (26) during the second quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 28, 2008 in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Matt York)
Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald stretches out to make an acrobatic catch while Seattle's Kelly Jennings defends.
The Seahawks defeated the Arizona Cardinals 36-18 to move into first place in the NFC West.
