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Some weeks, the player of the game is more obvious than other weeks. There are plenty of candidates every week, but sometimes it gets tough to decide. This is one of those weeks.
The Arizona Cardinals demolished the AFC South-leading Indianapolis Colts, 40-11 on Sunday (side note: that final score is the first of its kind in NFL history). Any of these guys could take home the prestigious award of ROTB player of the game -- but who will it be?
Don't mind all the offensive players. It was one of those weeks, as well.
Michael Floyd
Stats: 7 receptions, 104 yards, 14.9 YPC
I tweeted this during the game before Larry's second touchdown, but I still believe it: Michael Floyd is the best receiver on the roster right now. There's no denying that fact. His connection with Carson Palmer is noticeable, and it's really fun to watch the two of them hook up for big passing plays.
Among his receptions on Sunday, Floyd had gains of 13, 14, 19 and 29 yards. He's a big reason the deep-passing game is opening up, and the offense has benefitted of late because of it. Remember, Floyd has been dealing with a shoulder sprain over the past two weeks. He has 13 receptions for 297 yards (22.8 YPC) and a touchdown over that time.
Carson Palmer
Stats: 26 of 37 (70.3%), 314 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, 114.0 passer rating
Carson Palmer has gone 100 straight passing attempts spanning over 10 quarters without an interception. He was brilliant against the Colts, completing over 70 percent of his passes for the second consecutive game. It's the fifth time in his career he's done that.
Other than Palmer's obvious connection with Floyd, he was on target with everyone on Sunday, getting four receivers over 40 receiving yards (Floyd, Larry Fitzgerald, Rob Housler, Andre Roberts).
Karlos Dansby
Stats: 5 tackles, 1 INT, 1 TD
It's time for Karlos Dansby to have his own Pro Bowl committee. He may not get in otherwise. Finally, Dansby caught a sure pick-six. He's dropped at least four this season, so to get one against one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL was something special to watch.
He had some extra pep in his step after that pick -- you could see it before, during and after plays. He had the swagger Bruce Arians talked about in the days leading up to the game.
Larry Fitzgerald
Stats: 5 receptions, 52 yards, 10.4 YPC, 2 TD; 1 carry, 4 yards; 0 of 1 passing
Yes, Fitz threw a pass. It was his first career attempt, though it was merely a throw-away to avoid a big loss after an end-around went wrong. His two touchdowns gave him two such games this season and now 14 for his career.
Odd, though: Fitz is almost non-existent in the passing game of late until the Cardinals are in the red zone. It has worked out to the team's advantage, and you'll never hear him complain about it (especially if he's scoring touchdowns), but someone somewhere will take issue with it.
Rashard Mendenhall
Stats: 13 carries, 54 yards, 4.2 YPC, 1 TD; 1 reception, 24 yards
This almost felt like Rashard Mendenhall's breakout game with the Cardinals. He had a burst in his rushing he hasn't had in a long time, and that led to some nice gains early in the game. His 24-yard reception on the opening drive helped set the tone for the offense.
He scored his fifth rushing touchdown of the season and raised his yards-per-carry to just a hair above 3.0 yards per carry (3.007, to be exact). Looking at the entire body of work will still leave you depressed, but this game was a step in the right direction for Mendenhall.