Detroit Lions vs. Arizona Cardinals: What Are Experts Saying About Detroit?
As the Detroit Lions keep winning, more people are writing and talking about them. When they take on the Arizona Cardinals for the top seed in the NFC? Things tend to get a bit crazy.
The extended coverage is entertaining for the long-ignored fans, but it can get difficult to sort through the wise and the wild.
That's where I come in.
On the following slides, you'll find five different voices offering their analysis. Some of them are spot on; some are not. Click through to find out who is telling the truth about Detroit.
Hurry Up and Wait
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The last three wins have had comebacks in common. Unfortunately, they were also similar because the offense couldn't effectively move the ball until it found itself behind the proverbial eight ball.
Naturally, that late-game ability containing elements of the hurry-up offense begged the question why the Lions never employ the tactic earlier. Josh Katzenstein of The Detroit News paraphrased head coach Jim Caldwell's response and added his own analysis here:
"Caldwell, who coached fast-paced offenses with Peyton Manning in Indianapolis, explained that he doesn't think the no-huddle offense fits the Lions' personnel, but declined to explain further when pressed. Under first-year offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi, the Lions substitute skill-position players nearly every play, hoping to create mismatches. The offensive line has also struggled this year in the run and pass game, and running plays more quickly could wear the unit down.
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His quarterback might disagree with that statement considering Matthew Stafford was quoted by Katzenstein in the same article as saying, "[t]he faster we play, the better we're going to play."
The rationale that the Lions want to create mismatches using different personnel packages works to a degree, but it's not enough to scrap the speed-up strategy for at least one series when it isn't expected.
The starting offense includes Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate. If healthy, tight ends Joseph Fauria and Eric Ebron join those two to create a natural advantage over most defenders.
With that built-in benefit, why not put a defense on its heels when you have a quarterback who improvises as well as Stafford?
Lastly, there's no reason the offensive line should fatigue quicker than the defense. The surprise and fast pace only amplifies the offense's innate advantage of knowing where the play is heading.
Running on a Prayer
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The hurry-up offense has worked when called upon. The running game has not.
Yet head coach Jim Caldwell, as he told Rod Beard of The Detroit News, thinks things are starting to turn around.
"I think the first half it was pretty strong and I think we were around 4.3 or so, we ran it 19 times. I think this was one of those games that had we given it to the backs maybe a total of 20 something times or so I think you would have seen a pretty good amount of yardage being gained. There were some creases for us, Joique Bell did a tremendous job running the ball — I mean he was tough, hard-nosed in there, and certainly set a tone for us.
I do think even though (Sunday) might have been a little difficult for you to sense, but I can tell we're better in that area. It's just a matter of improving little by little.
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The Lions did run the ball better on a per-carry basis.
Reggie Bush looked like his electrifying former self, averaging 6.3 yards a pop for his first three attempts. Unfortunately (or inevitably), he hurt his ankle and his ability, putting up a single yard on his lone remaining carry.
Joique Bell took over the load and posted a very healthy 4.4 yard average down the stretch. However, the backs logged a total of just 17 carries, so the limited supply of opportunity kept the total to just 64 yards.
The lone quibble is the improved rushing attack had more to do with the running backs than the offensive line. The backs consistently broke the first tackle, often making cuts in the backfield, giving them a chance to find a sliver to squirt through.
Suh-Ting Up and Shipping Out?
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Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press isn't out to be the boogie man, but he is scaring Lions fans. He was explicit in saying that he has nothing concrete to affirm that Suh will leave; he just has his belief based on his observations.
"What I do know is this: Suh is almost invisible these days in Detroit away from the field. Once upon a time, he seemed to have a weekly promotional appearance scheduled around the city, and he was a regular, albeit mostly silent, presence at his locker. Now, he's nearly a ghost when reporters show up.
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Monarrez goes on to point out that players don't enjoy talking to the media, "[b]ut the true leaders, and especially those who feel they have a stake in their team's future, do it because it's part of the job."
This opinion seemed too strong when I read it. Then I saw Monarrez's colleague Dave Birkett's tweet.
"Suh was actually hosting some families for his charity after the game. No need for him to apologize.
— Dave Birkett (@davebirkett) November 12, 2014"
This isn't meant to shame Monarrez. It's merely rectifying a misunderstanding as to the cause of his absence.
As to Monarrez's overall theory, I'm not buying it. A conservative estimate would place the over-under at 50 percent when determining the ratio of questions Suh would receive in every post-game press conference regarding his impending free agency.
Who wants to answer the same question repeatedly when the questioner knows there won't be a real answer?
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No Passing Fancy
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This is the third straight year that the Lions and Cardinals have tangled in the regular season, all in the desert for what it's worth. These teams—and their superstars—know each other well.
But as Chris Morgan of Detroit.CBSLocal.com pontificated, both teams have added a significant piece that will be squaring off against his symbolic doppelganger.
"Instead, the concern for the Detroit Lions will be scoring, once again. The Cardinals have a very good defense. They dealt with losing a lot of players on this side of the ball before the year, but they’ve still been excellent against both the rush and the pass. Patrick Peterson is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, but now the Lions have both Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate. Peterson can only cover one of them, but the Cardinals still have another good cornerback in Antonio Cromartie, and also a couple other good players in their secondary.
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Peterson versus Megatron is still the headlining bout, but Cromartie-Tate is more than an undercard. In fact, the winner of the latter matchup may have more of an effect on the final score than the former.
The Cardinals often trust Peterson to lock up one-on-one with anyone. However, defensive coordinator Todd Bowles will likely shade a safety toward Johnson when he can afford it.
That will leave Detroit's leading receiver with plenty of room to roam. We've seen what Tate can do when given the chance (66 catches, 909 yards and three scores). Whether Cromartie can stop him remains to be seen.
Crank Up the Journey
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The Cardinals lost starting quarterback Carson Palmer to a season-ending ACL tear last week. He had been playing so well that the Cards recently rewarded with a three-year, $50 million extension.
But head coach Bruce Arians isn't throwing in the towel. He even told Peter King of Sports Illustrated that he has "no doubt" that the Cards "can win the Super Bowl with Drew Stanton."
Arians deserves the benefit of the doubt with the magic he's already performed this year. Bleacher Report's own Gary Davenport summed up his belief in Arians' mojo here:
"Where this week is concerned, however, the majority of our writers think that Stanton and the Cardinals could run into trouble against the league's top-ranked defense.
I'll confess I'm one of the minority who picked the Cardinals. Time after time this team has suffered injuries and personnel losses. Time after time the Cardinals have weathered those storms.
Bruce Arians' teams just don't know how to give up.
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It's hard to doubt the Cards' ability to overcome absences when they've gone stretches without Palmer or defensive end Calais Campbell, and even the whole season without dynamo linebacker Daryl Washington (suspended).
But can Arizona really beat a Detroit team with a backup quarterback when the Lions defense only gave up seven points to Aaron Rodgers?
Maybe.
You'll have to check back here Friday morning for the complete game preview to get all the details.
Brandon Alisoglu is a Detroit Lions Featured Columnist who has written about the Lions on multiple sites. He also co-hosts a Lions-centric podcast, Lions Central Radio. Yell at him on Twitter about how wrong he is @BrandonAlisoglu.
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