Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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IRISH IN THE PROS BY ANDREW OWENS F or 10 years, there has been no doubt when identifying the face of the Ar- izona Cardinals. In 2014, that player, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, might just line up as their No. 2 pass catch- ing target. Three years after Michael Floyd fin- ished shattering Notre Dame's receiv- ing records, he is primed to enter the regular season as Arizona's No. 1 wide receiver, ahead of Fitzgerald. Even if he won't admit it. "There's not a one, there's not a two," he said. "There are some plays that are recommended for a certain individual, and without that second guy, that guy won't be open. So we all work together for the same common goal, and that's to win ballgames." Floyd registered on the national ra- dar last September with an acrobatic, one-handed, 44-yard catch in week one against the St. Louis Rams. He also reeled in the game-winning score late in the year against the eventual Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks. Entering 2014, the Cardinals are viewed as an up-and-coming team in the NFC, but they play in the league's toughest division, the NFC West. Twice a season Arizona plays the Se- ahawks, the San Francisco 49ers (par- ticipants in the past three NFC cham- pionship games) and the St. Louis Rams. This fall, Floyd will be a critical piece if the Cardinals are to contend Changing Of The Guard? Third-year wide receiver Michael Floyd, who had 65 receptions for 1,041 yards and five touchdowns in 2013, seems primed to replace NFL standout Larry Fitzgerald as the top pass-catching threat in Arizona. PHOTO COURTESY ARIZONA CARDINALS