Detroit (1-1) at Arizona (1-1)
Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, Fox
BetMGM NFL Odds: Lions by 3.
Series record: Lions lead 35-28-6.
Against the spread: Lions 1-1, Cardinals 2-0.
Last meeting: Lions defeated Cardinals 30-12 at Detroit on Dec. 19, 2021.
Last week: Lions lost to Buccaneers 20-16; Cardinals beat Rams 41-10.
Lions offense: overall (2), rush (9), pass (2), scoring (16).
Lions defense: overall (14), rush (4-T), pass (21), scoring (12-T).
Cardinals offense: overall (7), rush (4-T), pass (15), scoring (2).
Cardinals defense: overall (13), rush (9), pass (19), scoring (17-T).
Turnover differential: Lions minus-1, Cardinals even.
Lions player to watch
TE Sam LaPorta. After a record-breaking rookie season, LaPorta had a career-low 13 yards receiving and two catches to match a career low last week against Tampa Bay. He had the most receptions (86) last season by an NFL rookie.
Cardinals player to watch
Rookie WR Marvin Harrison Jr. had his breakout game in last week’s blowout win over the Rams. He caught his first two career TDs in the first quarter and finished with 130 yards receiving. The No. 4 overall pick out of Ohio State is a gifted athlete and has flashed good instincts in his short professional career. On his second TD, he improvised on his route, breaking deep downfield for a 60-yard touchdown. As his familiarity with quarterback Kyler Murray grows, the production is expected to continue.
Key matchup
Murray vs. Lions DL Aidan Hutchinson. Murray had one of the best games of his career against the Rams, completing 17 of 21 passes for 266 yards and three touchdowns while also running for 59 yards. He danced all around the Los Angeles defense, evading tackles at will. Now he’ll have to evade Hutchinson, who already has 5 1/2 sacks this season, including 4 1/2 against the Bucs last weekend.
Key injuries
CB Ennis Rakestraw (hamstring) and S Ifeatu Melifonwu (ankle) were ruled out for Sunday’s game. LB Alex Anzalone (concussion), CB Terrion Arnold (illness), G Graham Glasgow (knee) and WR Isaiah Williams (abdomen) are all questionable. … Cardinals DT Darius Robinson (calf) has to miss at least two more games before he’s eligible to come off injured reserve. RT Jonah Williams (knee) is also on IR and out at least three more games. RT Kelvin Beachum (hamstring), WR Greg Dortch (hamstring) and DL Dante Stills (shoulder) are all questionable.
Series notes
The Lions have dominated the series recently with a 4-0-1 record since 2017. The 27-27 tie came in 2019, which was also the very first game that Murray played after being the No. 1 overall pick. The Cardinals won seven straight in the series from 2006 to 2015. This is the 70th meeting in a series that goes all the way back to 1930.
Stats and stuff
Detroit has not lost consecutive games since losing five straight to start the 2022 season with a 1-6 record. … The Lions were 1 of 7 in the red zone against the Bucs. … QB Jared Goff threw for 307 yards on 55 attempts, had two INTs and was fortunate defenders dropped two other passes that could have been picked off last week. … WR Jameson Williams is one of six players in league history with at least 200 yards receiving and 25 yards rushing after two games in a season, joining a list that includes Jerry Rice and Larry Fitzgerald. … RB David Montgomery has a rushing TD in five consecutive games. … DE Aidan Hutchinson has an NFL-high 5 1/2 sacks, a total that more than half of the teams in the league did not reach through two games. … James Conner ran for 122 yards against the Rams. It’s the third time in four games the RB has rushed for more than 100 yards, going back to last season … The Cardinals have converted on 14 of 24 third down attempts (58%) this season, which leads the NFL. They were 7 of 11 against the Rams. … Arizona’s defense leads the NFL with 17 tackles for a loss. … Edge rusher Dennis Gardeck set career highs with six tackles, six solo tackles, three sacks and four tackles for a loss against the Rams. … K Matt Prater has made 81 field goals from at least 50 yards in his career, which is easily the most in league history. The 40-year-old made a 57-yarder against the Rams last week.
Fantasy tip
The Cardinals defense has been surprisingly decent over the past few weeks after ranking near the bottom of many team categories last season. It’s also very likely sitting out there on the waiver wire. Though tempting, it’s probably best to hold off for a few weeks to see if this bunch is for real.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
