Tag: Detroit Lions vs. Arizona Cardinals

The Cardinals official Twitter account finally acknowledges their loss to the Lions, and it’s great

The Cardinals official Twitter account finally acknowledges their loss to the Detroit Lions, and it’s great

It can be hard to run the social media accounts of a team on the wrong end of a massive upset. Such was the case for the Arizona Cardinals and their social media account during last Sunday’s 30-12 drubbing at the hands of the Detroit Lions.

The Cardinals official Twitter account stopped updating the fans on the scoring, and never once acknowledged the final score. Many Detroit fans took notice and called out the Cards’ cowardice in not ever posting the (for them) humiliating score.

Better late than never.

Whoever runs the Cardinals Twitter finally stepped up and acknowledged the loss. And they did so in a very cool manner, one that even the critics from Lions land can appreciate.

In the spirit of the holiday film, Love Actually, here’s the Cardinals great response.

Not to be outdone, the Lions own social media department kept with the movie theme and showed its appreciation for the good work from their Arizona cohorts,

Very cool from both teams to give fans something to lift their spirits.

Lions PFF grades from win over Cardinals raise some questions

The Detroit Lions came out with a strong win over the Arizona Cardinals, but strictly looking at PFF grades you think the complete opposite

The Detroit Lions pulled off one of the bigger upsets in recent memory, dominating from start to finish against a potential playoff contender, the Arizona Cardinals. Detroit scored a 30-12 home victory. The Lions also found their way into NFL history, being the first team with one or fewer wins beat a team with 10 wins or more by double digits.

Throughout the season, the Lions have always been a tale of two halves. They’ve never put together a full game, either starting strong but faltering at the end or falling behind early and unable to dig themselves out of the hole. However, Sunday’s victory showed what happens when a team executes a perfect game plan from start to finish and plays spoilers at the end of the day.

With the Lions playing some of their best football as of late, fans and media have embraced the positivity and strangers, for that matter, while celebrating the turnaround the team has made. But, unfortunately, you get the few who are more worried about the draft slot than the culture made before our very eyes. Also, even though the Lions pulled off a decisive win, Pro Football Focus grades failed for the most part to reflect it.

Understandably, PFF reflects more on an individual level and not fully on a team performance base. That helps explain some of the confusion people might have had when checking out this week’s PFF grades against the Cardinals. However, it still has some questions around it.

Through offense and defense, the Lions mustered only two players, Craig Reynolds and Josh Reynold, to score above 80, and the highest-graded defender was Charles Harris, who scored 76.8. Also, there was a dramatic drop-off between the number three highest offensive player, WR Amon-Ra St. Brown with a 78.8 grade and the fourth, LT Taylor Decker, who scored a 64.0 grade.

The two lowest were no surprise, considering the eye test was not in favor of TE Brock Wright (40.9) and RB Godwin Igwebuike (40.6). They did not have their best games in an otherwise strong offensive performance.

Considering how well the offense was in tune, it would’ve been half-expected the Cardinals defenders would have middle-of-the-road to low grades. In fact, it was the complete opposite. Five Cardinal players nearly scored over 80 on defense, with two of them, OLB Markus Golden and DT Leki Fotu, almost eclipsing 90. On top of it, three offensive players came close to scoring an 80 as well.

I was a little confused by this week’s PFF grades, especially with how well a fair amount of Lions players played a strong game, but somehow the Cardinals have the higher of the grades out of the bunch. I get the individual aspect of it, but at the end of the day, the subjectiveness is head-scratching considering the players’ performance from both teams.

Either way, the Lions came out on top, which should excite most of the fanbase next week. The team put together a strong game plan and got strong performances from many of their players, making this win possible. All draft slots and PFF grades aside, this is a good week to be a Lions fan.

4 takeaways from the Lions Week 15 win over the Cardinals

On the Lions dominant ground game, Will and Charles Harris, a more confident Jared Goff and more

Sunday was a fun day for the Detroit Lions and their fans. The Lions pulled off a stunning, convincing upset win over the visiting Arizona Cardinals.

The 30-12 win by the Lions, who were 13.5-point underdogs, marked the first time in NFL history a double-digit underdog won a game outright by double digits. Detroit did so by dominating nearly every facet of the game from the opening drives.

Here are a few next-day takeaways from the Lions Week 15 win over the Cardinals.

Unexpected Lions win unites the fans in celebration

Our Jeff Risdon recounts his Sunday afternoon watching the Lions beat the Cardinals with a crowd of Detroit fans

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Sunday was the first time all season I watched the Detroit Lions in a public place. It turned out to be a fortuitous opportunity to relish in a huge Lions win.

I was at my daughter’s basketball tournament in Grand Rapids along with about 600 other people. At the start of the Lions game against the Arizona Cardinals, most everyone was pretty apathetic. I sat at a high-top table in the common area alone. Folks passed by, with a few taking a quick glance at the TV in the corner showing the Lions game. One other dad was paying close attention to the first couple of drives, but it was generally an afterthought.

That quickly changed. I missed most of the second quarter and the big plays early in the third while my daughter played (and won!), but by the time I returned to the lobby to watch there was a growing crowd. Fans still weren’t confident, but the 24-6 Lions lead certainly had folks talking. People shuffling in and out of the facility started walking slower and lingering around the growing congregation.

“Oh they’ll blow it” or something of that ilk remained a common refrain. And quite frankly, it was impossible to not think that was an inevitable outcome. These Lions have broken our hearts so many times, both this year and in the last decades. We’ve all seen the tragic comedy too many times.

But the Lions just kept playing winning football. Grown men who had just finished yelling at officials and 13-year-old girls high-fived and smiled, joy and surprise filling their eyes. I was hugged by two men I’ve never met before when the Cardinals waved the white flag and inserted Colt McCoy at quarterback in place of starter Kyler Murray.

One set of games ended just before the Lions game did. At that point, over 100 people were gathered in disbelieving ecstasy around the two TVs in the main area. Smiles, handshakes and a few joyous yelps abounded. Even those of us taking home disappointed daughters after their losses couldn’t help but beam grins of pride and happiness. A lot of the daughters felt that way too.

Games like this are why we don’t quit on the Lions even when things have been as wretched as they have for the last two-plus years. The team’s ability to bring us together for the unexpected group bonding is truly special. That’s what Sunday was for me and scores of others at MSA Woodland in Grand Rapids. And it’s a feeling we all want to get used to experiencing together a lot more. One pride!

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Lions vs. Cardinals: Everything we know from Detroit’s Week 15 win

Breaking down the keys to the game, stats, stars and more from the Lions Week 15 win over the Arizona Cardinals

The home fans in Ford Field got a massive early Christmas present from the Detroit Lions. Dan Campbell’s Lions boxed up the heavily favored Arizona Cardinals, 30-12, in a massive Week 15 upset.

The final score was not a fluke. The Lions were the clearly superior team in all facets of game play for most of the afternoon. Detroit did a great job of ignoring the records and just playing the kind of hardnosed, aggressive and smart football that Campbell preaches.

Here’s everything we know in the aftermath of a great Lions victory.

Studs and duds from the Lions Week 15 win over the Cardinals

The Detroit Lions pulled a convincing victory over the Arizona Cardinals through strong contributions from a handful of studs this week

ANY GIVEN SUNDAY!!!

In a game where the Detroit Lions were already slated by many to lose before the season started, they managed to pull off a convincing upset victory over the potential playoff contender, the Arizona Cardinals, 30-12, to secure their second victory of the season.

In this David vs. Goliath matchup, the Lions played spoilers to keep the Cardinals from securing their playoff spot and put together one of the complete games from this squad in quite some time. The offense string drives together with a strong rushing attack and an efficient aerial assault. The defense brought relentless pressure and shutdown coverage, and special teams were the cherry on top of this delicious sundae.

Typically I come away with the studs and duds after the game. But this week after taking down one of the top teams in the NFL, we will stay positive and highlight the good that came away from this week’s victory.

Jared Goff showed strong pocket presence and had strong throws, especially with his touchdown throws to Josh Reynolds and Amon-Ra St. Brown. It was going so well he found Jason Cabinda for the first touchdown of his career. Speaking of St. Brown, the rookie has become Goff’s favorite target seeing a team-high eleven passes his way catching eight for 90 yards and a touchdown.

The offensive line put together a very strong effort keeping Goff clean and imposing their will on the Cardinal’s defensive line opening up lanes for the rushing onslaught from Craig Reynolds. Last week, Reynolds nearly eclipsed 100 yards but came up short. Reynolds would not be denied against Arizona, recording 112 yards on the ground giving the Lions every reason to keep him even when D’Andre Swift and Jamaal Williams return.

A couple of low lights on the Lions offense was Brock Wright and Godwin Igwebuike. Wright missed a couple of his assignments, including the St. Brown touchdown, but Goff was able to step up and deliver a beautiful touch pass. Igwebuike fumbled the ball away when the Lions were driving, which could’ve ended up shifting momentum in the Cardinals favor.

Shifting to the defensive side of the ball, Aaron Glenn is making his case to be a strong head coach candidate in the upcoming season. With quite a few key players missing, he can put together a strong game plan and get the most out of each one of them. When you have Will Harris playing cornerback, and it wasn’t the kiss of death like everyone thought it would, you have some high praise.

The Cardinals did have a couple of big gains on the ground, but all in all, the defensive line was able to contain them for the most part and contained Kyler Murray limiting his effectiveness. The one who got the better of Murray was Charles Harris, who managed to make Murray’s life a long one this week after sacking him 1.5 times while leading the team in 12 tackles and three for loss.

The Lions coverage unit keeps the Cardinals’ aerial attack ineffective with only 293 yards between Murray and Colt McCoy. Jalen Reeves-Maybin was playing like his hair was on fire, batting down two passes and leading the Lions defense after Alex Anzalone went down. After Igwebuike, Amani Orwuyarie was able to turn the tides around, picking off Murray and nearly returning it himself but set up Cabinda’s touchdown instead.

Knock on wood, but the Lions might have found their kicker in Riley Patterson. He had another perfect day hitting all six of his kicks, three field-goal attempts, and three extra-point attempts. Punter Jack Fox did what Fox always does and was able to flip the field in the Lions favor pinning the Cardinals deep. Also, the coverage was able to keep the returns attempt to a minimum.

As you can see, there were strong contributions from every part of the team that played roles in the win this week. Dan Campbell and his team can get the most of their players and put up a fight no matter what who they play against. Draft position aside, it is amazing to see the Lions come out on top of this one and pull off a very convincing victory.

Lions pull off the Any Given Sunday upset over the Cardinals

The Detroit Lions stunned the world by dominating the Arizona Cardinals in every facet of football in their Week 15 win

Any Given Sunday came to Ford Field in Week 15. And the home fans got to witness a fantastic show.

It was bound to happen sooner or later. The effort and the will have been there all season for Dan Campbell’s Lions. And in Week 15, the ball finally bounced their way enough for Detroit to pull off the monumental upset.

The Lions stunned the world by beating the visiting Arizona Cardinals, 30-12. Crazily enough, it wasn’t a fluke victory either. The Lions were the better team in all phases of the game, from quarterback to defense to head coach.

Jared Goff had a fantastic game at quarterback. Despite the Cardinals being guilty of several roughing-the-passer calls, Goff displayed toughness and confidence in his receivers that has not been typical of his 2021 season in Detroit. He threw three touchdown passes, one each to Amon-Ra St. Brown, Josh Reynolds and Jason Cabinda in an efficient, giveaway-free effort.

Detroit’s defense played inspired ball. The undermanned unit flew around the field and smartly anticipated the Cardinals offensive attack. OLB Charles Harris was a key catalyst early, and CB Amani Oruwariye came down with a huge interception to rebuff an early comeback effort just after halftime. A second fourth-down hold by the aggressive Detroit defense was huge.

The win was just the second on the season for Detroit, and the first road loss for the Cardinals, now 10-4. The players executed very well, but special mention must go to Campbell and his coaching staff. Unaccustomed to playing with a lead, the Lions did not panic. Not every decision or play was perfect, but the composure and confidence Detroit displayed belied the league-worst record entering the game.

Make no mistake, the Cardinals were not ready for the effort they were up against. But on this given Sunday, the Detroit Lions were clearly the superior football team.

 

Lions vs. Cardinals inactive players include Jonah Jackson, Tracy Walker

The Lions will be without Jackson, the only offensive player to take every snap through Week 14

Already shorthanded, the Detroit Lions will face the Arizona Cardinals without starting left guard Jonah Jackson. The team’s ironman on the offensive line is one of the big names on the inactive player list for Week 15.

The Lions ruled out RB D’Andre Swift and OLB Julian Okwara in the final injury report on Friday. With several players, including RB Jamaal Williams, still on the reserve/COVID-19 list, the inactive player list doesn’t necessarily reflect just how decimated the Detroit roster is at this point in the season.

Jackson was questionable with a back injury on that final injury update, and it will keep him out. He was the only Lions offensive player to play every snap to this point of the season.

Safety Tracy Walker also appears on the inactive list. Walker was activated off the reserve/COVID-19 list on Saturday but isn’t quite ready for game action. He missed Week 14 as well.

Also inactive:

WR Trinity Benson

QB David Blough

OT Will Holden

The Cardinals inactive players:

Behind Enemy Lines: Breaking down Detroit’s Week 15 foe with Cardinals Wire

We asked Cardinals Wire editor Jess Root a few questions about the visitors from Arizona and what we can expect to see in Week 15

The Detroit Lions welcome the Arizona Cardinals to Ford Field on Sunday. The 10-3 Cardinals lead the NFC West and have one of the NFL’s best all-around teams, led by dynamic QB Kyler Murray and a stingy, speedy defense that is among the best at getting pressure on the opposing quarterback.

It’s not going to be an easy matchup for the Lions, who are looking to notch their second win on the season. Does Detroit even have a chance?

We asked Cardinals Wire editor Jess Root a few questions about the visitors from Arizona and what we can expect to see in Week 15.

Lions catch a break, won’t have to face Cardinals All-Pro WR DeAndre Hopkins

Hopkins has a knee injury that will keep him out for the rest of the regular season

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The 1-11-1 Detroit Lions need every break they can get in Week 15. Detroit is hosting the 10-3 Arizona Cardinals, the leaders of the NFC West and one of the NFL’s most consistent winners in 2021. But the Cardinals will be without their top offensive weapon for QB Kyler Murray when they visit Ford Field on Sunday.

All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins will not make the trip to Detroit. The Cardinals are placing Hopkins on the shelf for the remainder of the regular season. Hopkins has a knee sprain that will keep him out until the Cardinals fire up the postseason action.

The Lions are already officially eliminated from the postseason, of course. But getting to face the Cardinals without Hopkins is a boon for the injury-ravaged Detroit secondary. At this point, the Lions will take whatever bonuses they can get. Hopkins has 42 receptions for 572 yards and eight touchdowns for the Cardinals this year. He is the NFL’s leader in receptions over the time period 2017-2020, split between the Cardinals and the Houston Texans.