Detroit Lions vs. Arizona Cardinals: Complete Week 11 Preview for Detroit

For the third year in a row, the Detroit Lions head to the desert thirsty for a win over the Arizona Cardinals.

Oh, and first place in the NFC is on the line.

The Lions still sit one game ahead of the Green Bay Packers in the NFC North by virtue of their 7-2 record. That's good enough right now for a first-round bye, but a win against the Cardinals would give Detroit a tiebreaker in the hunt for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Additionally, Arizona has the third-hardest slate remaining. The Cardinals can ill afford to start slipping this early in the second half of the season.

Does Detroit have enough to take down a team that is undefeated at home? Can the Cardinals overcome a quarterbacking change to deal Detroit its third loss of the season?

Click through to find out.

Lions' Week 10 Game Recap

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There weren't any game-winning kicks against the Miami Dolphins. Just a cardiac catch by Theo Riddick.

For the third straight game, the Lions pulled off a come-from-behind win, but this victory felt heavier because the Dolphins are considered a playoff-caliber team.

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was a dominating force from the first snap when he dropped running back Lamar Miller behind the line of scrimmage. He followed that up by sacking Ryan Tannehill on the next play.

The defense contained the red-hot Dolphins to 16 points, mostly by shutting down the running game (87 yards less than the average). When the offense went three-and-out with less than four minutes to play, the defense promptly turned the tables on Miami and got the ball back within a minute.

Matthew Stafford's final drive included dimes to Golden Tate, Calvin Johnson and Riddick, but that was the only series of much consequence outside of a one-play touchdown drive. The loss of guard Larry Warford and offensive tackle LaAdrian Waddle didn't help, and the Lions finished with just 63 yards rushing.

The penalties (10 for 98 yards) were another source of failure and frustration. If the offense can get out of its way as its health improves, the defense will give this team a decent shot against anybody.

News and Notes

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A Familiar Foe

The Cardinals lost their starting quarterback when Carson Palmer went down with an ACL injury against the St. Louis Rams. Head coach Bruce Arians is still confident in his backup quarterback though. You might remember him.

Drew Stanton.

The former Lions' second-round pick will get his fourth start of the year. And that's just part of the craziness that is his week, as he told Justin Rogers of MLive.com.

"

It is a little bit surreal right now," Stanton, who played college football at Michigan State, said during a conference call with Detroit media on Wednesday. "You almost have to compartmentalize everything. When I was at the hospital last night, with my daughter laying on my chest, that puts everything in perspective. That's much more important than playing this game.

"But at the same time, when I'm here, my focus is solely on this, and doing everything I possibly can to try and be the best football player for my team.

"

Stanton was up to the challenge of leading the Cards to victory last week. He entered the game with Arizona down four and promptly threw a touchdown pass to rookie wideout John Brown.

However, the task will be tougher when the Lions come calling on their former quarterback. He better get his sleep while he can.

Jerome Couplin Hits for the Cycle

The undrafted free-agent safety quickly became a fan favorite this preseason with his penchant for hard hits. When he was called upon in limited regular-season action, Couplin performed well enough to be claimed by the Buffalo Bills after the Lions waived him a couple weeks ago.

Now, he's back. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press has the details:

"

The Lions re-signed the safety to the practice squad this morning, a day after he cleared waivers after being cut by the Buffalo Bills. Wide receiver Patrick Edwards was cut from the practice squad to make room.

An undrafted rookie out of William & Mary, Couplin played seven games with the Lions, mostly on special teams duty, earlier this year.

"

This move won't have an impact on this season. Even with James Ihedigbo's bad back, it's unlikely he'll be promoted this week. Still, he's an intriguing developmental prospect Detroit will try to keep around for a couple years.

If It's the NFC's Best Battle and Nobody Sees it, Does It Still Count?

Here's a quick recap: The Lions and Cardinals are battling for the best record in the NFL this Sunday. And nobody outside of the two states involved will see it.

Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com breaks it down here:

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While Eagles-Packers, another of the four games featuring teams that are a combined 6-3 or better, should be a compelling game, Lions-Cardinals deserves a broader audience.  But with Patriots-Colts in prime time, a flex wouldn’t have worked.  While FOX and CBS typically designate one late-afternoon game as the primary doubleheader contest, this specific situation justified a greater slice for Lions-Cardinals and a smaller piece for Eagles-Packers.

Regardless, if you want to see Lions-Cardinals, the options are simple:  Travel to one of the places where it will be shown, or get a satellite dish.

"

It's understandable that the Philadelphia Eagles and Packers would draw a ton of interest. Still, when the league's best-two teams record-wise face off, one would assume the rest of the country would be interested.

Apparently not.

Injury Report

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Position	Name	Injury	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Status
RB	Reggie Bush	Ankle	NP	NP	NP	Questionable
DT	Nick Fairley	Knee	NP	NP	NP	Out
S	James Ihedigbo	Back	Not Listed	NP	FP	Probable
G	Larry Warford	Knee	NP	NP	NP	Out
LS	Don Muhlbach	Ankle	LP	LP	FP	Probable
DE	Devin Taylor	Knee	Not Listed	LP	FP	Probable
TE	Eric Ebron	Hamstring	FP	FP	FP	Probable
TE	Joseph Fauria	Ankle	FP	FP	FP	Probable
WR	Calvin Johnson	Ankle	NP	FP	FP	Probable
T	LaAdrian Waddle	Knee	LP	FP	FP	Probable

*Injury reports courtesy of DetroitLions.com. Statuses are projections until the team releases the official update.

The offense should have the fullest arsenal of weapons it's enjoyed since September. Yet, a couple blows to the running game will temper the optimism over a bevy of receiving options.

Reggie Bush reaggravated his ankle injury early in the win over the Dolphins. And Larry Warford followed him to the sideline with a knee injury that is going to keep him out for "a little bit," as head coach Jim Caldwell told Tim Twentyman. Rookie Travis Swanson performed decently against the pass in his stead but was only effective opening holes when pulling.

If Bush isn't able to go (and it might be smart to hold him out until fully healthy anyway), George Winn will likely see a handful of snaps to balance out the running back rotation.

The defense took a couple surprise hits when safety James Ihedigbo and backup defensive end Devin Taylor sat out Thursday's practice. Little information has trickled out thus far, meaning Detroit could be forced to roll with some combination of Isa Abdul-Quddus and Don Carey at strong safety while possibly activating rookie defensive end Larry Webster for the first time this season.

X-Factors and Matchups to Watch

Rick Osentoski/Associated Press

WRs Golden Tate and Calvin Johnson vs. CBs Antonio Cromartie and Patrick Peterson

You might think I'm burying the lede, but I'm not. The premier matchup in this game is between Tate and Cromartie if you go by the numbers.

Cromartie has put up superior numbers to his partner, as Peterson (102.0) is allowing almost twice as high of a passer rating as the new acquisition (55.6), per Pro Football Focus (subscription required).

Rushing yards will be at a premium when Detroit's 31st-ranked rushing attack faces the third-best ground defense. Tate and Johnson must win this matchup if the Lions are going to put up enough points for a tough road win.

DE Ziggy Ansah vs. OT Jared Veldheer

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh will be at the forefront of the offensive line's mind, but it better keep tabs on Ansah. The second-year Lion already has 5.5 sacks and has the third-highest pass-rushing productivity score among 4-3 defensive ends, per PFF.

Veldheer was a sneaky pickup for the Cards this offseason. The Oakland Raiders foolishly let the talented left tackle walk, and he's been Arizona's best offensive lineman by a mile. Defensive coordinator Teryl Austin will move Ansah around, but his default position will pit him against one of the game's better tackles.

DC Teryl Austin vs. DC Todd Bowles

These two won't actually scheme against each other. Their units will never occupy the field at the same time. Still, these two hold the keys to victory.

Plus, they're both so unique and successful that they deserve a mention here.

Bowles has overcome major season-long losses (linebacker Daryl Washington and defensive end Darnell Dockett) and temporary inconveniences (defensive end Calais Campbell) while piloting a defense with the second-most takeaways (19). Meanwhile, Austin has utilized an aggressive scheme involving creative positioning to elevate Detroit's defense to the top of the statistical heap. 

Lions' X-Factor of the Week: LB DeAndre Levy

It's not a stretch to call Detroit's leading tackler (he has 36 more than Tahir Whitehead) an impact player, but his performance is the key to shutting down Arizona's short-to-immediate offense.

Drew Stanton loves to bomb away. Almost a quarter (23-of-101) of his attempts have gone at least 20 yards. However, running back Andre Ellington has amassed 914 combined yards, and Levy will need to keep his claws in the Cardinals' most efficient offensive player to keep the score within striking distance of Detroit's offense.

Prediction

Rick Scuteri/Associated Press

The Cardinals don't have their starting quarterback. The Lions are getting back two athletic tight ends against a defense that ranks 30th against the pass.

And I still don't see things turning in Detroit's favor.

Matthew Stafford has improved his ball security by leaps and bounds. He has eight interceptions this year, but at least three of those are of the jaw-dropping or bouncing-off-a-receiver's-hands variety.

However, the Lions can't run the ball. Against a Cardinals defense that only gives up 78.6 rushing yards per game, Stafford will find himself facing 3rd-and-long too often, leaving him no choice but to get creative.

Unfortunately for Detroit, Patrick Peterson and Company eat when offenses get cute, as their 19 takeaways would attest. 

Throw in Arizona's healthy home-field advantage, and Detroit will fall just shy of another late-game victory.

Score: Arizona 17, Detroit 13

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.