Arizona Cardinals’ Carson Palmer, Larry Fitzgerald expect tough challenge from Seattle CBs

The cornerbacks of the Seattle Seahawks are big.

All-Pro Richard Sherman stands 6-foot-3, as does his partner in crime, third-year man Brandon Browner.

But they’re not just big. They’re physical, as well.

Quarterback Carson Palmer and the Arizona Cardinals’ offense will face off against Sherman, Browner and the rest of the vaunted Seahawks’ defense Thursday night at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.

The veteran quarterback thinks that his receivers will need to match the muscle of Seattle’s defensive duo to be successful.

“You’ve got to be physical with them,” Palmer said following Tuesday’s practice in Tempe. “They’re going to grab and hold and they’re going to play very physical. They’re very long, you’ve got to fight back.

“And if they’re going to let guys play like they did last week and let the grabbing go on and let it be a physical game, we’ve got to match their physicality and at times, just win.”

In the last meeting between the two teams last December in Seattle, Sherman feasted on Cardinals quarterback John Skelton, picking off two passes and returning one for a score in a 58-0 blowout. Sherman has four interceptions in four career games against the Cardinals.

Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald is quite aware of the reputation of Seattle’s secondary.

“They’re a great challenge for us, they have a lot of talented players, not only in the secondary, but across the board,” he said.

But Palmer has some words of encouragement for his receivers heading into the Thursday night affair.

“You’ve got to win those one-on-one matchups and when (they’re) hanging on you and grabbing on you and pulling you down, you’ve got to make those tough, kind of grimy catches that coach is always talking about that probably aren’t going to get called.”

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