Cardinals vs. Lions: Postgame Grades, Notes and Quotes for Arizona
The Arizona Cardinals washed away their sins from Week 4 with a 42-17 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday afternoon. It was a return to intelligent, opportunistic football for the Cardinals.
After turning the ball over on their first two drives, Detroit managed to take a 7-0 lead with the help of a Matthew Stafford touchdown pass late in the first quarter before the Cardinals offense kicked into high gear. Arizona would go on to score the game's next 35 points, including four touchdowns in the second quarter.
Arizona's defense carried the day, forcing six Detroit turnovers—four interceptions and two fumble recoveries. Four of the turnovers came in the lopsided first half. Things got so ugly that the Lions opted to pull Stafford midway through the third quarter.
Carson Palmer and the Cardinals offense took full advantage of the defense's work, contributing all six of the team's touchdowns. Palmer threw for three scores on only 14 attempts, while rookie David Johnson found the end zone twice as the team's new red-zone running back.
The victory pushes Arizona's record to 4-1 and gives it a two-game lead over Seattle and St. Louis in the NFC West. Green Bay, Atlanta and Carolina remain unbeaten in the NFC.
Click ahead for the Cardinals' full game recap.
Position Grades for Arizona
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| QB | A |
| RB | A |
| WR | A |
| TE | A- |
| OL | A- |
| DL | A |
| LB | B+ |
| DB | A+ |
| Special Teams | B- |
| Coaching | A |
A genuine effort was made to create a modicum of variance in the grades, but in the end, it simply couldn't be done. This was a complete performance from a good team, and it gets to the point where it's senseless to niggle. Is Arizona a perfect football team? No. But it didn't do a whole lot wrong on Sunday.
Offensively, the Cardinals were unstoppable, although the defense ensured they didn't have to do a lot of work. After a shaky performance against the Rams, Palmer didn't make any bad throws or poor decisions on his way to a passer rating of 154.2.
Chris Johnson, Andre Ellington and David Johnson all proved to hold important roles in the running game (more on them in the next slide), while Larry Fitzgerald and John Brown continue to look like one of the best duos in the league at receiver.
Even the offensive line impressed, pushing around the Lions front four. The O-line let Detroit bump Palmer around a bit, but it opened up sizable lanes in the running game, allowing the backs to run for 191 yards on 21 carries.
Defensively, the Cardinals were even better. Rashad Johnson had two interceptions, while Jerraud Powers, Tony Jefferson and Deone Bucannon all totaled double figures in tackles.
As expected, the defensive line got back to choking off the opposition's running game, with the Lions managing only 57 yards on 18 carries. Cory Redding almost pulled off the game's top highlight, nearly hurtling Stafford on a 30-yard interception return.
For the sake of balance and sanity, there are two areas in which Arizona failed to impress.
First, and this is a recurring theme, the outside linebackers are going to have to find a way to generate more pressure. The defense managed just one sack of Stafford for zero yards, and it simply is not getting to the quarterback.
Second, and this is one of those things to keep an eye on in the coming weeks, the kick coverage unit was less than stellar. The Lions returned three kicks for 94 yards. It's nothing egregious, but it bears watching.
Room for Three in the Offensive Backfield
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With Week 1 starter Andre Ellington returning from injury and rookie David Johnson struggling in Week 4, there was some curiosity as to how the running back picture would sort itself out. This may not be the best week on which to judge, but the picture looks pretty good.
Chris Johnson was clearly the lead dog, carrying 11 times for 103 yards before sitting out the fourth quarter. The veteran continues to look like the Cardinals' best pure runner, showing off the burst through the hole that made him a sensation in Tennessee.
Ellington was utilized as the change-of-pace back, even if Arizona didn't hold the ball long enough to need to change the tempo. He looked healthy and explosive on a 63-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Expect Ellington to be more involved in closer games.
And then there's the younger Johnson, whom we thought would get moved from Bruce Arians' nickelback to Arians' dog house following an awful game against the Rams. It turns out Johnson's new role is the red-zone running back. He carried three times for six yards, scoring twice from inside the 5-yard line.
The running game was supposed to be a problem for Arizona this year, but it's proving capable of dominating on the ground. The Cardinals have a few mouths to feed, but that becomes easier when you have defined roles.
Three Injured on Defense
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Arizona entered the game without any injury concerns, but it didn't leave the game in the same condition.
Linebackers Alex Okafor and Kenny Demens and safety Chris Clemons all suffered injuries against the Lions, with all three heading back to Arizona for evaluation while the rest of the team travels to West Virginia to prep for Pittsburgh.
Of the three, Okafor would be the biggest loss. He's arguably Arizona's most talented pass-rusher, leading the team with two sacks on the season. According to Darren Urban of the Cardinals' official website, Okafor suffered a calf injury. Those have a habit of lingering.
Demens and Clemons are both used primarily on special teams, but their losses would still be felt. Attrition always shows up in those units. While their status is uncertain, Urban did report Demens believes he has an ACL injury.
Expect more information on all three in the coming days.
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Cardinals Heading to West Virginia
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As noted by Holly Sonders on the Fox broadcast, Arizona is going straight to West Virginia from Detroit to prepare for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Cardinals will be staying at The Greenbrier, which has hosted the New Orleans Saints' training camp in recent years.
The topic of teams traveling east for games has been a popular one in recent years, and for good reason. As this 2013 study from SportsInsights.com proved, teams traveling east are at a disadvantage.
By spending the entire week in West Virginia, the Cardinals won't have to worry about adjusting their body clocks for Sunday's game against Pittsburgh. They should be nice and fresh for the 1 p.m. ET kickoff.
Carson Palmer and Bruce Arians on the Win
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Part of the importance of getting the win against Detroit stemmed from the Cardinals redeeming themselves after the loss to the Rams. That loss was a major letdown following a dream start to the season.
While it won't undo the result in Week 4, Sunday's win over the Lions put the good feeling back in the Cardinals locker room. According to Urban of AZCardinals.com, Palmer said the performance helped him turn the page.
“I finally did get past last week 30 minutes, 45 minutes ago," Palmer said. "That one lingered for a long time. We needed to do what we did today to get past it.”
Arians expressed similar sentiments, according to Urban.
“It speaks volumes of the character of the football team how they play after a loss," Arians said. "I thought our veterans had this group more than ready.”
The ability to bounce back after a tough loss is always important for a team with the lofty aspirations of the Cardinals, but to bounce back in quite this manner is almost shocking. Arizona looked exactly like the team we saw in the first three weeks of the season.
The road is going to get tougher from here on out, but the Cardinals made another loud statement in Week 5, and it's getting difficult for the NFL to ignore them. They know what it takes to win, and they know how to dominate.
Let's see how well they carry it over to the game against Pittsburgh in Week 6.
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