DETROIT – The defense shined once again as the Detroit Lions got back on track with a win over the Cardinals.
It wasn’t always pretty. The Lions committed nine penalties for 79 yards and struggled to move the ball in the passing game.
But the secondary stood up against a dangerous Arizona passing attack, holding the Cardinals to just 275 total yards and one third-down conversion on the game.
Detroit won by a final score of 20-13 and improved to 2-1 on the season.
Nearly perfect offensive half
The Lions put their offensive woes behind them early with a pair of impressive touchdown drives on the first two possessions.
David Montgomery led the way on the opening drive with 35 yards and a 1-yard touchdown run.
Jahmyr Gibbs came in for the next possession and racked up 34 rushing yards before Jared Goff found Amon-Ra St. Brown for a 5-yard touchdown pass.
Detroit punted on the third drive, but got right back on track before halftime. Gibbs made a key play at midfield, rushing for 14 yards on a draw play to convert third and 12.
Ben Johnson drew up a beauty of a play for the third touchdown, as Goff hit St. Brown on a short pass to the right, and St. Brown lateraled to Gibbs, who scampered untouched into the end zone.
That hook and ladder gave the Lions 20 points, 240 yards, and 12 completions on 12 pass attempts for the first half. Jake Bates missed his first kick off the season on Detroit’s second extra point attempt.
Goff went into halftime 12-for-12 with 137 passing yards and two touchdowns. Montgomery had 55 yards and a touchdown, while Gibbs chipped in 54 yards.
Defense holds up
The Lions allowed the Cardinals to go 70 yards on eight plays for a touchdown on their first drive, but they held up well the rest of the half.
Back-to-back punts gave the offense an opportunity to build up the 20-7 lead, but a really ill-advised late hit on Jalen Reeves-Maybin allowed the Cardinals to get into field goal range to make it 20-10 before the break.
Injuries
Injuries are a major concern for the Lions after this game.
Levi Onwuzurike, Terrion Arnold, and Dan Skipper all came off the field temporarily before returning to play, but linebacker Derrick Barnes wasn’t as fortunate, leaving on a cart.
Sam LaPorta appeared to injure his leg at the end of the third touchdown drive. He returned for the first drive of the second half but limped off after one play, clearly hurting. The TV broadcast showed him with an ice pack on his ankle, but he later returned to the field.
Alim McNeill went down right before the half, too. He did not return to the game.
Brian Branch was part of a scary collision in the fourth quarter, and he stayed down on the field for awhile after the play. He eventually trotted to the sideline and went into the injury tent.
Kerby ends 2 drives
Arizona began the second half with a nice drive into Lions territory. A second pass interference penalty (Arnold got one in the first half) on Carlton Davis extended the drive on a third-down pass to rookie Marvin Harrison Jr.
But Kyler Murray, who had completed 10 of 13 passes for 88 yards and a touchdown to that point, tossed a jump ball to the end zone for Harrison, and it was easily intercepted by Kerby Joseph for a touchback.
That’s Joseph’s second pick of the year. He also intercepted Matthew Stafford in the end zone during Week 1.
The Lions couldn’t capitalize on the interception, as a costly false start turned a third and 1 into a third and 6. Goff’s first incomplete pass of the game led to a punt.
Jack Fox delivered a beauty, blasting it 61 yards to the 2-yard line. Murray nearly picked up a first down on third and 9, but Joseph was there to make the stop just short, and the Lions took over again.
Defense gets stop after turnover
The Lions got to start on their own 43-yard line, but the possession was a disaster from the start.
A double reverse to Jameson Williams went for a loss of seven yards, and then Goff threw an interception on second down to set the Cardinals up on Detroit’s 33.
Goff didn’t appear to see the defender as his receiver came across the middle.
The defense forced a fourth and 1, but Murray appeared to convert by inches as Davis chased him to the sideline. After review, the call was overturned, and the Lions took over once again.
Offense stalls, defense shines (over and over and over)
Once again, the defensive stop didn’t lead to any points for the Lions.
Gibbs gained 18 yards on the first play and Goff hit St. Brown for 15 more on the second.
After an 8-yard gain by Gibbs on first down, Goff couldn’t keep the ball in bounds for an open Williams, and that proved costly. Montgomery picked up one yard on third and 2 and then got stuffed on fourth down to turn it back over the Arizona.
But even that couldn’t get the Cardinals going. The defense forced a pair of incomplete passes around a 3-yard loss, capped by a pass breakup by -- guess who? -- Kerby Joseph.
Detroit picked up a pair of first downs before a sack -- with the Cardinals only rushing three -- doomed yet another drive.
Joseph did it again, though. After the Cardinals escaped the shadow of their own end zone and got out to around midfield, the Lions forced a fourth and 7 with about 11 minutes remaining.
Murray tried to Trey McBridge over the middle, but Joseph was right there in perfect coverage to break up the pass and give the ball back to his offense.
The Lions did nothing with the possession. Two Gibbs runs set up third and 8, and Goff threw a deep ball toward a double-covered Williams that never had any chance.
But you know how this goes by now. After giving up one first down, the Lions defense forced three straight incomplete passes, and the Cardinals punted the ball back with 8:35 left in the game, trailing by 10.
Lions still can’t ice game
With a chance to ice the game, the Lions went back to their bread and butter, but it still didn’t work.
Montgomery’s first carry was one of the most impressive plays of the game. He looked like he would be stopped for a gain of seven yards, but Penei Sewell, Kevin Zeitler, and a few others pushed the pile an additional 9 yards for a total gain of 16.
Montgomery gave the Lions 8 more yards to set up a third and 2 before coming out of the game. Gibbs was stopped a yard short, and the Lions punted.
Fox -- who spent the entire afternoon pinning the Cardinals inside their own 20-yard line -- painted another masterpiece, forcing a fair catch at the 7-yard line.
This time, the defense bent a little, but still didn’t break. The Cardinals went 65 yards on nine plays to set up another 44-yard field goal for Matt Prater.
The drive was killed by Aidan Hutchinson, who picked up yet another sack with a beautiful inside spin move.
Key third down conversion
Detroit finally broke the trend of unproductive offensive possessions with about 2:30 left in the game.
The Lions faced a third and 11 and were in danger of punting the ball back to the Cardinals, giving them a chance to tie the game.
But Goff found St. Brown for a gain of 17 to take the game to the two-minute warning and effectively seal the win.
An unlikely Goff scramble for eight more yards officially gave the Lions a win.
