Opponent: The Arizona Cardinals
This Year:
The Cardinals are 8-1 and are the leaders in the NFC West
Statistical Leaders for Cardinals:
Passing: Carson Palmer: 62.9 CMP%, 1626 YDS, 11 TD, 3 INT
Rushing: Andre Ellington: 167 ATT, 582 YDS, 3.5 AVG, 3 TD
Receiving: Larry Fitzgerald: 44 REC, 625 YDS, 14.2 AVG, 2 TD
Defense: Rashad Johnson: 55 TACK, 1 SACK, 2 TFL, 2 INT, 6 PD
Cardinals Injuries:
Out: DT Ed Stinson (toe)
Doubtful: none
Questionable: LB Desmond Bishop (hamstring)
Probable: LB Lorenzo Alexander (knee), S Deone Bucannon (Quad), RB Andre Ellington (foot/hip), RB Stepfan Taylor (calf), and DT Dan Williams (elbow)
Inactive:
LB Desmond Bishop (hamstring)
LB Glenn Carson
TE Darren Fells
DT Ed Stinson (toe)
OG Earl Watford
RB Dominique Williams
The Detroit Lions
This Year:
7-2, 1st place in the NFC North
Statistical Leaders for Lions in 2014/15:
Passing: Matt Stafford: 61.4 CMP%, 2496 YDS, 13 TD, 8 INT
Rushing: Joique Bell: 108 ATT, 357 YDS, 3 TD
Receiving: Golden Tate: 66 REC, 909 YDS, 3 TD
Defense: DeAndre Levy: 86 TACK, 0.5 SACK, 10 TFL, 1 INT, 4 PD
Injuries:
Out: DT Nick Fairley (knee), OG Larry Warford (knee)
Doubtful: none
Questionable: RB Reggie Bush (ankle)
Probable: TE Joseph Fauria (ankle), TE Eric Ebron (hamstring), S James Ihedigbo (neck), WR Calvin Johnson (ankle), LS Don Muhlbach (ankle), TE Brandon Pettigrew (foot), DE Devin Taylor (knee), and OT LaAdrian Waddle (knee)
Inactive:
WR Ryan Broyles
RB Reggie Bush (ankle)
DT Nick Fairley (Knee)
QB Kellen Moore
TE Brandon Pettigrew (foot)
DE Larry Webster
The Game
Location: University of Phoenix Stadium – Glendale, Arizona
Weather Forecast: Dome with retractable roof. 69 degrees outside with 0 percent chance of rain.
Time: 4:25 PM ET
Broadcast: FOX and the Lions Radio Network (97.1 FM the Ticket is flagship out of Detroit)
Detroit Starters:
Offense:
QB: #9 Matthew Stafford
RB: #35 Joique Bell
FB: #45 Jed Collins
TE: #80 Joseph Fauria
WR: #81 Calvin Johnson
WR: #15 Golden Tate
LT: #71 Riley Rieff
LG: #67 Rob Sims
C: #51 Dominic Raiola
RG: #64 Travis Swanson
RT: #66 LaAdrian Waddle
Defense:
DE:#91 Jason Jones
DE: #94 Ziggy Ansah
DT: #90 Ndamukong Suh
DT: #9 C.J. Mosley
OLB: #54 DeAndre Levy
MLB: #59 Tahir Whitehead
OLB: #56 Ashlee Palmer
CB: #23 Darius Slay
BC: #31 RaShean Mathis
FS: #27 Glover Quin
SS: #32 James Ihedigbo
Arizona Cardinals Starters:
Offense:
QB: #5 Drew Stanton
RB: #38 Andre Ellington
WR: #11 Larry Fitzgerald
WR: #15 Michael Floyd
TE: #89 John Carlson
TE: #84 Rob Housler
LT: #68 Jared Veldheer
LG: #62 Ted Larsen
C: # 63 Lyle Sendlein
RG: #74 Paul Fanaika
RT: #79 Bobbie Massie
Defense:
DE: #93 Calais Campbell
NT: #92 Dan Williams
DE: #98 Frostee Rucker
OLB: #94 Sam Acho
OLB: #57 Alex Okafor
ILB: #51 Kevin Minter
ILB: #50 Larry Foote
CB: #21 Patrick Peterson
CB: #31 Antonio Cromartie
SS: #22 Tony Jefferson
FS: #26 Rashad Johnson
The Majors Detroit Pregame Analysis:
This is a game the Lions just don’t usually win, but this isn’t just a typical Lions team. Traveling across the country to play the one team in the NFL with a better record than you isn’t a game many NFL teams will win. However, the Cardinals will be missing their starting QB for the rest of the year. Replacement Drew Stanton has a couple wins as a starter this year but also quarterbacked the team’s only loss. He is also completing less than 50 percent of his passes, but has yet to commit a turnover.
The Cardinals arguably have the best defense in football and if there are only two guys in the league that can cover Calvin Johnson one on one, one of them is the Cardinals’ Patrick Peterson and the other is probably Seattle’s Richard Sherman, so don’t expect Golden Tate to be wide open much either. The Cardinals just don’t give up anything on the ground, which will make it hard for a Detroit team that already struggles to move the ball on the ground to try to stay balanced.
The Lions of the past don’t win this game, they likely get blown out of the building. However, this isn’t your father’s Detroit Lions. I don’t think that will be enough for the Leo’s to emerge victorious, but this will be a one score game in the 4th quarter.
Prediction: Arizona 24 – Detroit 17
— Dorf