Cardinals’ Patrick Peterson will look to shut down Bucs’ Mike Evans
Oct 14, 2017, 4:43 PM
Arizona Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson (21) warms up prior to an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
The Arizona Cardinals are slated to face off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday.
For Patrick Peterson, that means he will be matched up with star wide receiver Mike Evans. Most football fans won’t focus on a one-on-one battle, but this is one that many will be locked in on while the battle at the line of scrimmage commences.
Even though Evans has been somewhat held in check this season, posting a line of 24 receptions for 276 yards and two scores, Peterson will still have his hands full with the 6-foot-5 Pro Bowl target.
With that being said, with the way Peterson has been playing this season, the Texas A&M product may be in for a quiet day in the desert.
According to Pro Football Focus, the cornerback allows just one reception once every 27.3 snaps in coverage, which ranks first in the NFL. He is also six snaps ahead of the second-closest cornerback, Houston Texans Johnathan Joseph.
The numbers for star receivers this year against the Cardinals have been minuscule.
In Week 2, Peterson was able to keep Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton at bay, limiting him to just four catches for 49 yards.
Up next was the Monday Night showdown with the Dallas Cowboys. Peterson and his team played great again in limiting a star receiver and kept Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant to low numbers, only giving up two receptions for 12 yards and a touchdown.
As far as this Sunday’s matchup, in the only game the two have played against one another, Evans was heavily targeted, but Peterson and the Cardinals still brought issues. The 18 targets in the game for Evans only resulted in seven receptions for 70 yards.
In one of those early targets, Evans was thrown to deep, but Peterson made a terrific read on the ball, accelerating past Evans and picking the ball off less than five minutes into the game.
In his seven-year career, Peterson has been a force to be reckoned with. He has 308 tackles to go along with 20 interceptions.
He has made the Pro Bowl six times and has received NFL First Team All-Pro honors three times.
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