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The Detroit Lions prevailed over the Arizona Cardinals, 26-23, to pick up the first win of the 2020 season. And as awesome as it felt when Matt Prater’s game-winner sailed comfortably through the goalposts as time expired, the Lions should feel very fortunate they didn’t get the “A” game from Cardinals QB Kyler Murray or coach Kliff Kingsbury.
It might not even have been their “C” game. Not that Matt Patricia and the Lions coached a great game either, but this win had more of a feel of Arizona trying a little bit harder to lose it than anything the Lions did very well.
Murray tossed three interceptions, the first time all year the Lions had taken the ball away. He routinely stared down his target, leading the defense to all three picks. Duron Harmon dropped another one that was an almost identical play to the interception he made earlier in the game, too.
The Cardinals scheme and plan of attack made little sense. With the Lions secondary struggling with both injuries and staying on task, and with DeAndre Hopkins and Larry Fitzgerald at their disposal, coach Kingsbury continually dialed up throws to…KeeSean Johnson. Fitzgerald had one catch for zero (yes, zero) yards. Johnson caught just two of his seven targets, often being covered by the Lions best cover man, Amani Oruwariye. Murray’s final three passes went to Johnson, not Hopkins or Andy Isabella, who torched the Lions for two too-easy touchdowns on the day.
It was a head-scratching day for the Cardinals. Highly-touted first-round pick Isaiah Simmons couldn’t cover pedestrian Lions TE Jesse James on a very basic route for James’ first TD of the year. They committed two key penalties that helped the Lions in the fourth quarter, obvious fouls too.
Then there was a fourth down call where Kingsbury pulled Murray off the field. Arizona wound up committing a false start to make it a moot point, but here is an MVP candidate, a guy who can escape a crowded phone booth untouched, and Kingsbury decides Arizona’s better chance is without him on the field?!?
It’s a good reminder for Lions fans used to suffering from coaching foibles of their own that it can happen to other teams, too. On this day, Matt Patricia did enough to help his team win and Kingsbury did not. Revel in it, but don’t get used to it, Detroit…
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