3 biggest winners (and 1 big loser) from Lions' Week 3 win over the Cardinals

The Detroit Lions got back on track with a hard-fought 20-13 win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. They didn't score in the second half, but the defense was outstanding and they re-established what their offensive identity is right from the start.

The Lions have won nine straight regular season games when coming off a loss.

Without further ado, here are five winners and one loser from the Lions' Week 3 win.

Winner: Aaron Glenn/The defense

Mobile quarterbacks have tended to give the Lions' trouble, and Kyler Murray is a challenge unto his own this side of Lamar Jackson. The Cardinals' signal caller had a 21-yard run early, but he finished with just 45 yards on five rushing attempts. Cardinals' running backs combined for 32 yards on 13 carries,

Murray had a touchdown to pass highly-touted rookie wide receiver Marvin Harrison, but otherwise Harrison didn't get a lot done (five catches for 64 yards). Elsewhere, Cardinals' tight end Trey McBride had three catches for 25 yards before a collision with Lions' safety Brian Branch led to him being evaluated for a concussion.

The Lions lost some notable defensive players to injury on Sunday, never to return (Branch, Derrick Barnes, Alim McNeill) or for a handful of plays (Marcus Davenport, Levi Onwuzurike, Terrion Arnold) before being able to return.

But the unit kept it together, and performed well. That's a credit to the players who had to step up, and Glenn as the coordinator.

Winner: Jared Goff

Goff needed a rebound performance on Sunday, and he got it done. He started the game completing his first 14 passes, including 12-for-12 for 137 yards and two touchdowns at halftime. He finished 18-for-23 for 199 yards with those two touchdowns and an interception, and a 113.6 passer rating.

The Lions had better offensive balance on Sunday than they did in Week 2, and Goff's performance was a reflection of that.

Winner: Identity

Speaking of better balance, the aforementioned first drive of the game, with six of nine plays David Montgomery runs, set the tone for the day. Overall, the Lions had 187 rushing yards on 43 attempts, led by Montgomery's 23 carries for 105 yards and that touchdown. Jahmyr Gibbs had 16 carries for 82 yards (5.2 yards per carry).

The Lions want to run the ball as a mode of exerting their will on the opponent, and that is their identity offensively. They wasted no time re-establishing that on Sunday, after straying from it in Week 2. All is right again.

Loser: Injuries

Both teams had a lot of injuries on Sunday, but the Lions had several to notable. Let's just summarize the most concerning with tweets. Some others left the game and were able to return without further issue.

Linebacker Derrick Barnes suffered a knee injury, and defensive tackle Alim McNeill suffered a shoulder issue. Neither returned.