Arizona’s Floyd starting to find groove

tempe, ariz.» Statistically, Michael Floyd ranks third among the Arizona Cardinals’ trio of talented receivers. That’s a bit misleading, though. After a slow start to the season, a result of surgery to repair three dislocated fingers early in training camp, Floyd has been coming on strong.

After catching two touchdown passes in the Cardinals’ 26-20 overtime victory over Green Bay on Saturday, Floyd figures prominently in the Cardinals’ hopes of winning at Carolina on Sunday in the NFC championship game.

“If he wouldn’t have broken his hand, I think he would have had a 1,500-yard year,” Cardinals coach Bruce Arians said after Wednesday’s practice. “He was having a great camp, and he’s having a (great) season, especially the second half of the season.”

Floyd was sidelined the entire preseason. He didn’t miss any regular-season games, but it took time for him to be effective.

Through the first five games of the season, Floyd caught eight passes for 104 yards and no touchdowns.

In his final 10 games, not counting the playoffs, he caught 44 for 745 yards and six TDs. In five of those games, Floyd topped 100 yards receiving.

He won’t use the injury as an excuse.

“I’m not really worried about the hand anymore. I don’t think I was worried about it from the beginning,” he said. “I think when you worry about an injury, something else is going to happen while you’re playing out there.”

Floyd said his numbers got better simply because he was thrown the ball more often.

“It’s just the plays that are dialed up by B.A.,” he said. “Carson (Palmer) found me on the field and I made plays.”

Larry Fitzgerald and Floyd make an imposing tandem. Fitzgerald stands 6-foot-3, Floyd 6-foot-2.

Combined with diminutive speedster John Brown, it’s a formidable force for opponents to deal with.