The Detroit Lions are looking to get to one game over .500 against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 5, and ahead of a much-needed bye week in Week 6. The Cardinals, sitting at 1-3 amid a rebuilding period, roster some extremely talented players on both sides of the field - Michael Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr., Trey McBride, Josh Sweat, Roy Lopez, and Budda Baker, just to name a few.
Of course, those names haven't helped the team land team wins, just individual ones. That's good for the Cardinals' quest for a top pick in the 2027 NFL draft, and good for the Lions, who hope to leave Allegiant Stadium with a win. It'll be a reunion for offensive coordinator Drew Petzing, who served as the teams' OC from 2023 to 2025, and for Lopez, who had a great year with Detroit in 2025.
It feels like a stretch to call this a must-win for the Lions...but, it is. A loss ahead of a bye week is going to make it feel like an eternity to wait between this Sunday and their next bout on October 25 - way too much time to ruminate on their errors and on negativity in relation to their defense, especially.
Last updated: Wednesday, October 7, 5pm EST
- How to watch Lions vs. Jets in Week 3
- Lions vs. Cardinals injury updates
- Storylines to watch for Lions vs. Cardinals in Week 5
- Prediction
How to watch Lions vs. Jets in Week 3
- Date: Sunday, October 11
- Time: 4:25pm EST
- TV Network: FOX Sports
- Announcers: Kevin Kugler, Daryl Johnston
Lions vs. Cardinals injury updates
Lions injuries
Player | Injury | Wednesday, October 7 |
|---|---|---|
C Cade Mays | Wrist | LP |
S Brian Branch | Achilles | LP |
OL Ben Bartch | Foot | NP |
DT Tyleik Williams | Foot | NP |
EDGE DJ Wonnum | Back | LP |
CB Rock Ya-Sin | Hamstring | NP |
The Lions finally got Mays and Branch back in practice on Wednesday, which is a great sign for both in their respective recoveries. We don't know if either will play against the Cardinals, but if one player were to be suiting up, it'd likely be Mays. Branch will get the benefit of returning ahead of a Lions bye week, which gives him time to get back up to speed with the defense ahead of a Week 7 clash with the Green Bay Packers.
Ya-Sin, Williams, and Bartch being absent from practice stings a bit, but moreso for the Lions' secondary. They're already thin as it is, so having no Ya-Sin off the bench means they'll need to dig even deeper to find some answers on the outside defensively.
Cardinals injuries
Player | Injury | Wednesday, October 7 |
|---|---|---|
OL Isaiah Adams | Ankle | DNP |
S Budda Baker | NIR-Rest | DNP |
LB Jordan Burch | NIR-Personal | DNP |
OL Isaac Seumalo | NIR-Rest | DNP |
LB Josh Sweat | NIR-Rest/Groin | DNP |
S Andrew Wingard | Knee | DNP |
RB Jeremiyah Love | Ankle | LP |
S Dadrion Taylor-Demerson | Back | LP |
Love is dealing with a few ankle injuries, and the rookie was very honest with reporters after Week 4 about his desire to give some more snaps to fellow running backs Tyler Allegier and Bam Knight due to that injury management. Him getting some rest in Week 5 would be doing the Lions' struggling run defense a big favor.
Storylines to watch for Lions vs. Cardinals in Week 5
A reunion for Petzing, Lopez
Petzing will be back at Allegiant as the Lions' offensive coordinator in this game, one offseason removed from his departure from the Cardinals. Things were amicable between himself and the Cards upon his leave, so there shouldn't be any Ben Johnson-sized fireworks in this contest. He also left for a non-divisional rival, so there's even less gas behind this return.
Lopez, who left the Lions in free agency for the Cardinals on a 2 year, $10.5 million deal, was a bright spot for the Lions along their defensive line in 2025. He played in all 17 games with the team last year, posting a career-high two sacks, 4.5 stuffs, and 30 total tackles. He was an understated piece to their defensive line, but has been replaced by both Tyleik Williams and Skyler Gill-Howard.
Another career-high game for a Lions opponent?
The running joke at the moment is that the Lions' secondary is so bad, that it is an open invitation for any opponent to manage to post a career-high in receiving yards against them. It was Tetairoa McMillan last week, and Garrett Wilson the week before, and then Keon Coleman prior to that. Week 1, despite a win, it was Chris Olave.
The Cardinals have a bit of a quarterback problem, though, so maybe this will finally be the week where their secondary isn't exploited as much. Still, they have weapons in Wilson and McBride that will be hard to ignore if they're wide open in the slot or downfield. And, the more embarrassing result would be that this is the contest where Harrison Jr. finally wakes up in.
Something's gotta give between Cardinals, Lions
The Lions are at the bottom of the league in passing yards allowed per game (304.0). The Cardinals are only posting 194.3 passing yards per game on average. Who will break out first - the Lions' secondary with all of their injury woes and question marks hovering over their depth, or the Cardinals with their talented offense and subpar quarterback play?
Well, it feels like that will come down to how effectively the Lions can blitz Jacoby Brissett. If they can actually record some sacks or hits on Brissett, they can likely force multiple turnovers on downs or just really bad field positioning for the Cardinals' offense. The issue is, Brissett, isn't a statue back there - he has the mobility to get a few yards here and there with his legs.
Additionally, we've seen the trouble the Lions defense can get into when sending so many guys to blitz, leaving a lot of open field for quarterbacks to work with in the air. Couple that with weapons like Wilson and McBride...you get the point.
This will be an interesting game for the Lions' secondary, as it sounds like the team will be experimenting even further with their personnel there. Rookie Keith Abney II and Jalen Mills are primed for a larger role in Week 5, per Campbell.
Prediction
I was very off base in my last prediction - silly me for having faith in the Lions' offense against the Panthers. For this prediction, I'll once again go with a 31 point game from the Lions, but I do think the Cardinals will keep pace. Detroit will win by the skin of their teeth by a final score of 31-30, with Brissett posting a few passing touchdowns and Harrison Jr. posting 80 receiving yards.
Jahmyr Gibbs will go off in this game, with the Cardinals allowing an average of 117.5 rushing yards per game. He will be the catalyst to a bounce back performance from Detroit's offense.
The Lions are going to struggle to contain McBride the most of anyone, and it's going to be another frustrating watch. A (predicted) win is a win though, right?
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