Lions at Cardinals: 3 players who could roar for Detroit
The Detroit Lions enter Week Three looking for their first win in 2020. These players might help.
The Detroit Lions will once again head out onto the road and take on the Arizona Cardinals in the Grand Canyon State this Sunday. This is a rematch of the Lions’ regular-season opener from last year that saw Detroit give up a 24-6 lead in the fourth quarter and ultimately end the game in a dissatisfying tie.
Despite this only being Week Three of the 2020 regular season, new Lions’ running back Adrian Peterson is calling this game a must-win for Detroit after the team’s 0-2 start. With that in mind, here are three Lions’ players who could shine in Arizona this weekend and help the team secure its first victory of the young season.
T.J. Hockenson, TE
Despite tying that first game of last season against the Cardinals, then-rookie tight end T.J. Hockenson was a major bright spot. The Lions’ top selection in the 2019 NFL Draft posted a record-setting debut racking up six catches for 131 yards and a touchdown.
So far this season, Hockenson is off to a solid start, recording nine receptions off nine targets for 118 yards and a touchdown through two games. It’s conceivable that the second-year tight end could put up a repeat stellar performance against the Cards this Sunday as he has a track record of doing so.
Danny Amendola, WR
Lost in Hockenson’s performance against the Cardinals last season was the Detroit debut of Danny Amendola. The veteran slot receiver was targeted by quarterback Matthew Stafford a whopping 13 times.
Amendola would post a great stat-line of seven catches for 104 yards and a score in Arizona. That touchdown would be his only one for Detroit in 2019 despite being targeted 97 times.
The two-time Super Bowl winner is currently tied for the most targets on the team this season with 14 as Stafford continues to look his way early. Amendola has brought in seven receptions for 104 yards but has yet to score in 2020. That could change this Sunday.
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Jamie Collins, LB
The Lions essentially traded linebacker Devon Kennard for Jamie Collins this offseason. Both players racked up 7.0 sacks in 2019. In fact, Kennard racked up three of those sacks against the Cardinals last season in Week One.
With Collins recording his first sack for the Lions last weekend against the Green Bay Packers, look for the veteran linebacker to potentially track down elusive Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray for a sack or two on Sunday.