THE Arizona Cardinals The Cardinals will host the Detroit Lions at State Farm Stadium on Sunday afternoon in Week 3. The Cardinals haven’t beaten the Lions since 2015, going 0-4-1 against them since then, and haven’t beaten starting quarterback Jared Goff since his rookie season in 2016.
The Lions and Cardinals are both 1-1 this season. Both teams have beaten the Los Angeles Rams.
To prepare for this game, Lions Wire Editor Jeff Risdon answers some questions about the Lions to take us behind enemy lines and preview the game. You can also catch him with me on the podcast.
Detroit’s offense and defense
What do we know about the Lions so far after two games offensively and defensively?
The offense has been very efficient at moving the ball, but it hasn’t been very good at converting all those yards into points. Detroit has a top-five offense in almost every statistical area except scoring, where it’s 16th after two games and 28th in red-zone efficiency. It’s very close to being great, but offensive coordinator Ben Johnson’s play-calling and situational awareness have not been great so far.
Defensively, Detroit has been very good at rushing the passer. Or should I say, Aidan Hutchinson has been excellent and is getting help from Levi Onwuzurike and Marcus Davenport (who will play). The team is attacking well in space, and the man coverage of the revamped defense looks pretty good. They are vulnerable in zone coverage and to quarterbacks who can drop and run, though Detroit’s defense is still elite at stopping opposing running backs on the ground.
BY Aidan Hutchinson
Is there anything stopping Aidan Hutchinson? What led to his increased production?
Hutchinson has been on an upward trend throughout the offseason, enough so that he was a viable Defensive Player of the Year candidate early in the year. Seeing him pick up win after win in practice against All-Pro right tackle Penei Sewell was incredibly encouraging, and it had more to do with Hutchinson’s rise than any issues with Sewell.
Hutch has improved the timing of his moves, especially his power-to-speed ratio. He has become a complete, versatile talent in his third season, capable of winning inside or out, with speed or power. He exudes a new, intense confidence that big guys possess, and Hutchinson didn’t necessarily have that before.
Jameson Williams
What do the first positive numbers from Jameson Williams mean? Do you think it will continue?
“Jamo” has matured a lot as a football player. The Lions desperately needed him to step into the No. 2 WR role and he has risen to the challenge. His deep speed has always been ridiculous, but now he tracks the ball better and coordinates his feet and length better on his routes. It has created imbalances and big plays for the Lions offense outside of the way Jared Goff thrived a year ago.
Over the first two weeks, opposing defenses have focused on eliminating Sam LaPorta and Amon-Ra St. Brown. Williams’ emergence as a true threat has impacted how much attention defenses can give to those players.
Key confrontations
Which matchups are you most looking forward to on Sunday? Which ones are you most worried about?
The rookie matchup between Terrion Arnold and Marvin Harrison Jr. should be worth the price of admission. Arnold has been very good in man coverage and has the physicality and mentality to match Harrison, who has also had fantastic looks. May the best rookie win.
I’m curious to know how the Cardinals Pass rushers do well against Sewell and Taylor Decker, one of the best tackle duos in the league. Dennis Gardeck is dangerous with his size (or lack thereof), and smaller pass rushers are usually the ones who give Decker trouble at left tackle.
On a personal note, I’m looking forward to seeing what Starling Thomas can offer. He was almost drafted by the Lions as a UDFA last year before the Cardinals The starting DBs drafted out of Arizona were both guys the Lions looked at during the draft process, so I want to see those guys go up against a creative and aggressive Lions offense.
Predictions
Who wins this game? How?
I think this is a “must-have” game for the Lions’ offense, which moved the ball around at will but failed in the red zone. I think the Cardinals The offense will be able to keep up pretty well, but David Montgomery, Jahmyr Gibbs, et al. are just a little too much. Lions 35, Cardinals 31
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This article was originally published on Cards Wire: Behind Enemy Lines: Cardinals-Lions Game Preview with Lions Wire
