Lions vs Cardinals: Detroit wins a defensive struggle in Arizona
Second Quarter
Blount opened up the new quarter with a gain of four yards. On 3rd & 4, Stafford very nearly got swallowed up for a sack but he was able to evade the pressure and run for a new set of downs. Riddick gained 11-yards with a nice catch and the Lions continued to move the ball.
A sack and a penalty slowed Detroit down to a 3rd & 18 and from there Riddick gained 9-yards on the ground. The series ended with a 47-yard field goal by Detroit’s placekicker Matt Prater, 3-0 Detroit.
Damon “Snacks” Harrison continued to impose his will on the running game of opposing offenses and Darius “Big Play” Slay broke up a pass on the next snap but left the game on the same series due to injury. The Lions then had a wide-open opportunity to recover a fumble after the ball popped out but the Cardinals recovered their own ball.
On 3rd & 10, Arizona moved the chains for a gain of 19-yards and a Lion penalty gave the Cards more yardage on the back end. Detroit linebacker Jarrad Davis absolutely flew into the backfield and tackled David Johnson for a loss of 6-yards for Arizona. Slay came back into the game just in time enough to break up a key third-down pass attempt by Rosen.
A 54-yard field goal attempt by Arizona was no good and the Lions retained their modest lead, 3-0 Detroit.
Stafford got swallowed up for a sack on the first play of his new drive. Detroit’s starting right tackle Rick Wagner got hurt on the series and he had to leave the game due to injury as he was replaced by rookie lineman Tyrell Crosby. On 3rd & long, Stafford completed the pass to Ellington but offsetting penalties caused a replay of 3rd & 15.
After the snap of the ball, Stafford’s pass fell incomplete and Detroit had to punt it away yet again.
The Cards took back over with the ball and they worked to get their offensive unit rolling. On second down, David Johnson got himself blasted again by Jarrad Davis as Detroit’s second-year linebacker looked like a heat-seeking missile at times on the field. Davis continued his stellar series with a sack on Josh Rosen for a loss of seven.
The Lion sack led to an Arizona punt and it also led the game into its first two-minute warning.
Detroit took over from their own 17-yard line and Stafford slung it into his tight end Levine Toilolo for a gain of 10 yards. Riddick chipped in another big gain of 17-yards and Stafford quickly hit Riddick for another 4-yards.
On the third-down play, Stafford targeted his other tight end Michael Roberts but he missed the pass and Detroit had to punt again.
Arizona moved the chains slightly after they got the ball back but they were content to let the clock run out until intermission.
The first half was a classic defensive struggle between two teams striving to get their offenses awakened. Arizona would get the ball back to open up the second half.