arizona cardinals – Lions Lowdown

Resilient Detroit Lions run down Cardinals in win; bottle up Kyler Murray

Five reasons for the bounce-back victory

Think of these Detroit LIons and the word “grit” immediately comes to mind. Hey, it’s a fact. However the resilience of the group, under coach Dan Campbell, carried them far last year and it continues early on this season.

On Sunday night, the Lions roared out of the gate and held on for a 20-13 win over the Arizona Cardinals on the road. Detroit was coming off a 20-16 loss at Ford Field to the Bucs last week.

“It’s good to get back in the win column. Our guys were locked and ready to go this week. I felt like we cleaned up a lot of things that needed cleaning up,’’ Campbell said. “It’s still not perfect but ultimately we knew, and our guys knew, that this was going to be one of those grinding, gritty, unglorious jobs that were going to need to be done on the O-line, D-line, receivers. And that’s exactly the game it was.’’

The goal was to establish the run early, along with bottling up Cardinals’ Kyler Murray who was coming off a win with a perfect quarterback rating.

Mission accomplished.

It was a different game than the previous week and that’s OK with Campbell because along with grit and resilience, this team can match up with any type of opponent.

“That’s what makes you feel pretty good. I feel we can play different types of games. We can do whatever we need to with special teams, defense and offense. We just have to find a way to win every week and they could be different every time,’’ Campbell said.

Five of the reasons the Lions won:

ONE: Detroit’s defense allowed the Cardinals to convert six first downs in the first drive which resulted in a touchdown pass from Kyler Murray to Marvin Harrison Jr. After that it was tough sledding for QB Kyler Murray and his gang, grabbing just 11 first downs the rest of the game. They were just 1-of-9 on third-down attempts while the Lions were 6-of-12. While Murray was sacked just once (by Aidan Hutchinson) he was pressured throughout including three straight incompletions midway through the fourth quarter.

“Our coverage, I thought, for the most part, played pretty dang good. It was tight coverage and he had to make tight throws with tight coverage,’’ Campbell said. “… We knew they were going to get some, but we were able to do that and then I think a lot of it was offensively, we were able to possess the ball and put pressure on them. We were able to stay up two scores most of the game.’’

TWO: With two minutes left in the first half, the Lions appeared to catch a huge break when Goff had threw an apparent interception that was returned for a touchdown. However, the officials said the two-minute clock had gone off before the play. Campbell said he had heard the two-minute whistle at least a full second before the play. Four plays later from the Cardinals’ 21-yard line they scored on a hook-and-ladder play from Goff to Amon-Ra St. Brown who passed it to Gibbs who ran into the endzone. That gave them a 20-7 lead just before the half. It was a huge turn-around.

THREE: Safe to say the Cardinals may be working on their run defense this week. David Montgomery (106 rushing) and Jahmyr Gibbs (83 rushing) gashed the Arizona defense early and often. Montgomery carried six times for 39 yards on the opening drive, finishing it off with a 1-yard touchdown run.

“I think our backs, they kind of feed off each other – Montgomery and Gibbs and that O-line. They were able to establish the ground game and the physical side of it,’’ Campbell said. “It doesn’t mean you’re going to have 10-yard runs every time but you know what kind of game you’re about to walk into if youre the opponent – this is the type of day it’s going to be. That’s really what you want to establish.’’ Montgomery and Gibbs have each logged 70-plus scrimmage yards in each of the first three games which is a first in the NFL for a running back duo since 2006.

FOUR: Jared Goff was his usual steady self. Heck, he sealed the win on a keeper, sliding for the first down with 1:13 left. Goff got off to a good start with a 70-yard touchdown drive on the first possession. He didn’t throw an incompletion in the first half (12 of 12). It almost looked easy, but throughout the game yards were tough to come by. He did throw one interception, but overall his numbers were good completing 18 of 23 attempts for 198 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

FIVE: Dan Campbell had the team ready for its first road game of the season. Following a loss where they were 1 of 7 in the red zone, he had said they could fix the problem and they did with two trips to the red zone and two touchdowns, both in the first half. “It was just a great team performance and I’m proud of the guys,’’ Campbell said.

UP NEXT: Seattle Seahawks (3-0) at Lions (2-1) at 8:15 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 30 at Ford Field.

Five things to watch as Lions try to bounce back against Cardinals; plus injury update and prediction

The Lions haven’t lost back-to-back games since late October 2022. It’s definitely a streak they want to keep alive heading to Arizona for Sunday’s matchup with the Cardinals.

“That’s kind of what we’re built for, is responding, and we’ve got another really good team we’re playing again this week with Arizona,’’ quarterback Jared Goff said. “On the road, it’ll be a tough environment, it’ll be a tough game to win, but we’ll be geared up and ready.”

The Lions (1-1) are coming off a 20-16 loss to the Buccaneers at Ford Field while the Cardinals (1-1) upset the Rams 41-10 last Sunday.

Coach Dan Campbell has a team that will look adversity in the eye and spit in it.

“As much as we want rainbows and sunshine all the time, this happens. It’s not always going to be smooth sailing. Shoot, the last couple years I think of the New England game and the Dallas game early in the season where we didn’t get it rolling a couple years ago, and then last year we had some bumps in the road as well,’’ offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said. “So those things happen, we want to minimize those as much as possible, and I think that’s the mark of a good/great team is, each week we find a way to put enough points on the board to get us down to win the game at the end of it.’’

Kickoff is Sunday at 4:25 p.m.

Five things to watch as Lions play at Cardinals:

ONE: Don’t let Arizona’s offense get off to a fast start. In the first two games they scored on each of the first three drives. Kyler Murray had a perfect quarterback rating – 17 of 21 for 266 yards and three touchdowns last week. He also carried the ball five times for 59 yards, including a 26-yard scamper. “I think this coordinator does a really, really good job because in passing situations he does a really good job of continuing to run the ball, so you have to really play true,’’ Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn said. “That’s what I talk to our defensive guys about. This is not a team where you can just say, ‘OK, we’re putting in our pass defense.’ And then they’ll gut you by running the ball on those situations because they really feel good about their run game.’’

TWO: It will not be the Jared Goff vs. Budda Baker Show, but Baker, who defends well against the run and the pass, is “a football playing dude” in the words of Campbell. “He’s one of the top safeties in the League and a guy that I’ve played since college and have a ton of respect for,’’ Goff said. “I’ve seen him flying around the field for almost 10 years now and he’s a hell of a player and a guy that will be out there that we will be aware of.

THREE: The offense moved the ball last week better than Week 1 but not when it mattered the most. “We actually had more winning grades as individuals than we had the week prior, so, just like coach is saying, our focus is on getting better. Individually that certainly happened as an offense. We moved the ball better, we didn’t have the three-and-outs that we had Week 1, but clearly, we didn’t finish the drives like we needed to,’’ Johnson said. “A thing that’s kind of popped up for two weeks in a row now is not playing complementary football. The three-and-outs Week 1 kind of put unneeded stress on our defense, and then last week special teams comes through to extend a drive and we don’t end up with points, then our defense is coming through with – in the fourth quarter with multiple stops, and we don’t come up with points for us, so we’ve got to do a better job complementing the rest of the team, they’re doing a phenomenal job right now.’’

FOUR: Linebacker Alex Anzalone, who suffered a concussion against the Bucs, is questionable to play but Glenn said he is confident in Jack Campbell and Malcolm Rodriguez to step in if Anzalone is sidelined. “I have plenty of trust in that linebacker room. Jack has done a good job for us, going from OTAs and training camp, of backing Alex up and being able to make the calls and stand in front of that huddle, so I have no issue with that. Rigo was a starter for us for quite some time, so I am very comfortable with him coming in and getting those reps too,’’ Glenn said. “So that’s a room that I have the utmost confidence in regardless of who plays, even if (Jalen Reeves-Maybin) Germ has to play, I expect him to go out there and play up to the same level as every other linebacker that we have. So, I’m confident in those guys.”

FIVE: In a surprise to no one, Cardinals rookie WR Marvin Harrison Jr., has easily made the transition to the NFL. He scored Arizona’s first two touchdowns last week on 23-yard and 60-yard pass plays. There may not be much NFL film on him but he’s the same guy who played lights out at Ohio State. “I know this, he’s improved every week. He’s a talented athlete, he’s long, he’s got good ball skills, and he really kind of did a little bit of everything last week,’’ Campbell said. “ … He’s growing as he goes, and I think you just study what you see on tape, and we know what he is and, look, we’ve got – (Carlton Davis III) CD’s an experienced corner. He’s long, he can run, so I like the matchup and I like (CB Terrion Arnold) TA too. So, he’s getting better and hopefully he doesn’t catch fire against us.”

LIONS INJURY UPDATE: S Ifeatu Melifonwu (ankle) and CB Ennis Rakestraw (hamstring) are out. LB Alex Anzalone (concussion), CB Terrion Arnold (illness), G Graham Glasgow (knee) and WR Isaiah Williams (abdomen) are questionable.

FEARLESS PREDICTION: Lions 31, Cardinals 27.

Lions Jared Goff confident about resolving red zone issues, bouncing back with a win

ALLEN PARK — If the Lions are going to hop back on the winning track, they have to get the red zone issues fixed and do it before Sunday’s game at Arizona.

The Lions were 1 of 7 inside the 20-yard line in Sunday’s loss to the Buccaneers. No need to look further to figure out why they lost.

So far in two games they are 3 of 11 in the red zone.

Still quarterback Jared Goff is confident they will bounce back.

“That’s kind of what we’re built for, is responding, and we’ve got another really good team we’re playing again this week with Arizona,’’ Goff said Wednesday. “On the road, it’ll be a tough environment, it’ll be a tough game to win, but we’ll be geared up and ready.”

Coach Dan Campbell said it’s not on one player, it was an offensive issue.

“It’s a team effort out there. We didn’t finish the drives, we take pride in our red zone offense and, as an offense, we just didn’t get the job done,’’ offensive line coach Hank Fraley said on Wednesday. “That’s definitely a point of focus this week and really every week, it’s an offseason focus.’’

Goff said if they could pinpoint an issue they would’ve been able to fix it during the game.

“It was just they played well on defense, we didn’t play well enough on offense and got down there seven times, which I think was the most we’ve gotten down there since (offensive coordinator) Ben (Johnson)’s been calling plays, but ultimately we didn’t capitalize on it and they did a good job on defense,’’ Goff said.

Definitely credit the Bucs’ defense, but six failed attempts inside the 20 is just too much. From the 20 to the 20 the Lions’ offense moved the ball with 463 yards of total offense (compared to Tampa’s 216 yards) and Jared Goff threw for 324 yards. Running backs Jahmyr Gibbs (84 yards) and David Montgomery combined for 119 rushing yards.

“It felt like there was some consistency and movement of the football, then when we got to the red zone and for one reason or another – it could’ve been one person or one thing not going the right way. There were a couple of runs I’d like to have back,’’ Lions running backs coach Scottie Montgomery said. “There were little things we see that collectively you can’t have happen. That’s what we’re focused on now moving forward.’’

While he said there are a few things they know they can do better, it wouldn’t offer specifics.

Fraley could be speaking for the whole offense when he said, “It’s disappointing because when we go down there we expect we’re getting 7. That’s our mindset and worst case scenario 3.’’

INJURY UPDATE: DL Marcus Davenport (groin), who didn’t play Sunday, was back at practice on Wednesday. … Missing from practice during the portion open to the media were: LB Alex Anzalone (concussion), S Ifeaut Melifonwu (ankle), CB Terrion Arnold (finger), CB Ennis Rakestraw (hamstring), LG Graham Glasgow (knee). S Kerby Joseph (back) and WR Isaiah Williams (abdomen) were limited in practice..

UP NEXT: Lions (1-1) at Arizona Cardinals (1-1), 4:25 p.m. on Sunday. Airs on FOX and 97.1 The Ticket.