Lions vs Cardinals: Three Keys to a Bounce-Back Victory

The Detroit Lions will travel to Arizona to take on the Cardinals in a 4:25 p.m. kickoff rather than their traditional 1 p.m. start time. All eyes will be on Lions offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, who will face his former team after serving as Arizona’s offensive coordinator for the past three seasons.

Detroit received some good news this week as Cade Mays and Brian Branch were activated off injured reserve. However, the Lions opted not to activate either player for Sunday’s game, allowing both to get another week of rest before Detroit’s Week 7 home matchup against the Green Bay Packers following its bye week. This was likely the smart and safe decision, giving both players additional time to recover and ramp up their workloads.

Joining them on the inactive list are Ben Bartch, who is still dealing with a foot injury, and Rock Ya-Sin.

Last week, Detroit’s defense struggled mightily in a loss to the Carolina Panthers. Now, the Lions will look to bounce back against Arizona. If Detroit can execute these three keys to victory, it should have a good chance of leaving Arizona with a win.

Key No. 1: Force a Turnover

Last week, the Lions failed to force a single turnover against the Carolina Panthers in a game decided by six points. Although Detroit protected the football itself, finishing with a 0-0 turnover margin, the defense missed an opportunity to make a game-changing play.

Detroit has struggled to win games when it fails to win the turnover battle, making takeaways a critical factor against Arizona.

Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett has thrown four interceptions this season, including three in his most recent matchup against the New York Giants. Meanwhile, Detroit has not recorded an interception since Week 1 and will look to snap that streak against Arizona.

However, the Cardinals have done an excellent job protecting the football in another area, as they have yet to lose a fumble this season. The Lions will need to capitalize on any opportunities that come their way. One interception or fumble recovery could make all the difference in what could be a competitive game.

Key No. 2: Establish the Run Game

Last week, Jahmyr Gibbs was held to just 46 rushing yards on 15 carries. He is currently averaging a career-low 4.4 yards per carry and has recorded just one run of more than 20 yards, with a long of 21.

Lions fans are eagerly waiting for Gibbs to break off one of the explosive touchdown runs he has delivered throughout his career. Getting him going early could be crucial to Detroit’s success.

When Gibbs receives at least 20 carries, the Lions have won both games this season against the New York Jets and New Orleans Saints. In Detroit’s two losses, Gibbs recorded just 52 rushing yards against the Buffalo Bills and 46 against the Panthers.

Arizona presents an opportunity for Detroit to get its ground game back on track. The Cardinals are allowing the 13th-most rushing yards per game at 116.

In their most recent matchup against the Giants, Arizona surrendered 87 rushing yards in a loss. The week before, against the San Francisco 49ers, the Cardinals allowed Christian McCaffrey and fellow running back Keaontay Ingram to combine for 92 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.

If Detroit can establish the run early and get Gibbs going, it should help open up the passing game and make the offense more difficult to defend.

Key No. 3: Start Hot

Detroit has struggled to get off to fast starts this season, both on its opening drive and throughout the first quarter. The Lions have scored just three first-quarter points all season, averaging only 0.75 points per game in the opening quarter.

To me, this feels more like a Drew Petzing problem than an issue with Detroit’s offensive personnel. In both of the Lions’ losses, they found themselves trailing after the first quarter.

Detroit has shown it can heat up quickly, but those offensive explosions have typically come in the second and third quarters. Against Arizona, the Lions cannot afford to spend another game playing from behind.

If Detroit can put together a touchdown-scoring opening drive, it would immediately put pressure on the Cardinals and allow the Lions to dictate the pace of the game.

The offense has the talent to score against anyone, but it needs to translate that potential into production from the opening kickoff. A fast start could go a long way toward helping Detroit get back into the win column.