Cardinals CB Patrick Peterson gets another go at Falcons’ Julio Jones

TEMPE, Ariz. — Patrick Peterson’s college career at LSU paralleled Julio Jones’ at Alabama.

They’ve traded wins in the record books and on single plays in their collegiate days and in their meetings as pros. On Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, they’ll meet in arguably the least-meaningful matchup of their soon-to-be seven games played against one another when the Arizona Cardinals visit the Atlanta Falcons.

“Neither one of us has any playoff implications,” Peterson said Thursday. “I wouldn’t even say (the game’s) about pride but what you want to be remembered for, at the end of the day.

“He had his fair share of wins, I believe I had my fair share of wins. Like I put on my notes on Tuesday, here we go, best versus the best. These are the matchups I live and (die) for. I’m sure he’s the same way. This is why you play the game of football.”

Jones hasn’t practiced this week due to foot and calf injuries. He was sent home Thursday due to illness, but the Falcons believe he will be available for Sunday’s meeting between a 3-10 Cardinals team and 4-9 Falcons squad.

The only outside implications of the outcome come in where the teams could land in the NFL Draft order with the game’s results.

But for Peterson and those in the locker room, it’s a chance to face arguably the best receiver in the NFL, who for the fifth year in a row has eclipsed the 1,400-yard mark.

“After he catches the ball, what he’s able to do — the YAC — we definitely have to eliminate that,” Peterson said. “He’s explosive, very shifty and he causes a lot of problems for defensive backs. He’s definitely going to present a lot of problems for me, but hopefully I can keep him tamed and make some plays.”

With the exception of a single drive against a Detroit Lions jumbo package last week, Arizona feels its defense has found a groove of late.

The Cardinals held Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers to 230 yards on 50 passing attempts two weeks ago at Lambeau Field. Last week against the Lions, veteran Matt Stafford threw for just 101 yards on 23 attempts. Both averaged less than 4.8 yards per attempt.

Cardinals defensive coordinator Al Holcomb wouldn’t indulge in going over his gameplan, of course, adding that Arizona has used Peterson in a multitude of ways.

For the most part, Peterson has faced the opponent’s best receiver, even against teams with two high-level players such as Minnesota’s Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen. Peterson helped to slow Diggs, who finished with three catches for 33 yards, but Thielen went off for 11 catches and 123 yards, including a touchdown.

Similarly threatening, the Falcons deploy talent beyond Jones with rookie Calvin Ridley and vet Mohamed Sanu adding 1,294 combined receiving yards and 11 touchdowns on top of Jones’ 1,429 yards and five scores this season. Then there’s tight end Austin Hooper with 557 receiving yards and four more scores.

“(Jones has) done a great job of bringing on Ridley, and I think Mohamed Sanu is one of the best interior guys. Those three together, they make the best combination of receivers in the National Football League,” said Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald.

Holcomb and Peterson believe Arizona’s success against opposing quarterbacks the last two weeks came because of a forceful pass-rush by the front-four, but that unit took a hit with tackles Robert Nkemdiche and Olsen Pierre hitting the injured reserve list the last two weeks.

Recently-signed Vincent Valentine, plus defensive ends Zach Moore and Cameron Malveaux, could add depth at the 3-technique if the Cardinals need to give Corey Peters and Rodney Gunter a breather.

No matter the success of the line, Peterson believes Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan will find a way to fling some balls Jones’ way, giving him more offerings to make plays than normal.

That’s exciting to Peterson. But the task of facing Jones, he knows, won’t be easy.

“He’s a mutant man,” Fitzgerald added of Jones. “The guy, there’s nobody like him in the game, to be that fast, that explosive, that abrupt in terms of his change-of-direction in his route-running is unbelievable.”

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