Week 3 saw the Detroit Lions back in the win column against the Arizona Cardinals with a 20-13 victory. The Lions have not lost back-to-back games since October 2022; that streak stays alive after this week. It was not the statement win the Lions were looking for, but a win is a win nonetheless. Let's dive into the key contributors for Victory Sunday.
Stock Up
Amon Ra St. Brown
7 REC, 75 Yards, 1 TD
David Montgomery
23 CAR, 105 Yards, 1 TD
Jahmyr Gibbs
16 CAR, 86 Yards, 1 Receiving TD
Kerby Joseph
1 INT
Aidan Hutchinson
1 Sack, 1 TFL
Honorable Mention: Jared Goff
Montgomery and Gibbs' two-punch combo was one of the most significant contributors to the Lions' win, especially in the 2nd half. While not scoring in the second half, the Lions relied heavily on the run game to burn out the Cardinals' defense and the clock. Amon Ra St Brown had a breakout game, with almost 100 yards receiving and one touchdown. Should we not even mention the trick play where St. Brown lateraled the football to Gibbs for a touchdown? Unexpected and successful. It seems like the offense was more in sync this game than last week, and hopefully, we will see more of this moving forward.
As for defense, Aiden Hutchinson is a bull that can't be tamed. One sack in the game, extending his streak of at least one sack per game. Not to mention against the very versatile Kyler Murray? "Hutch" seems to be gunning for Defensive Player of the Year, a title currently held by Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett. Give Kerby Joseph flowers as well, coming in with a clutch interception in the 3rd quarter to prevent the Cardinals from scoring a touchdown. That play was the last time Kyler Murray tried a deep ball in the endzone and was the last time the Cardinals were able to attempt a passing touchdown for the rest of the game. Joseph kept the field on lockdown all game.
The first honorable mention is Jared Goff. He had a better game against the Cardinals than last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was better at making decisions when throwing and had two passing touchdowns by the end of the game. I cannot put his stock up because he was picked off on a very confusing throw, and he looked like he was playing the game very safely. It wasn't the best performance, but it was still slightly better this week.
Stock Down
Terrion Arnold, Jack Bates
Terrion Arnold had some great coverage plays in this week's game, but he needs to get it together regarding the penalties. He has the most penalties among cornerbacks, costing the Lions yards and giving opposing offenses more time on the field. (To play the fan's advocate, the referees have been cracking down way harder than they have been these last two seasons except for one team, but we won't go into that). In this case, Arnold needs to become more disciplined when he is/is not allowed to put his hands on opposing receivers; looking at and analyzing film more can benefit not only himself but the Lion's defense as a whole.
Jack Bates has usually been a reliable kicker for the Lions. But this week was one of those rare times when an extra point could've made the Lions breathe a little easier. Bates missed the extra point after the Lions' second touchdown, which kept the Cardinals within one score. Thankfully, they never could get another touchdown, but that lingers over every Lions fan throughout the game. Had the Cardinals scored a touchdown at any point of the game afterward, the Lions would've lost and had been in a deeper hole because of a missed extra point. This shows every point counts in a football game, including extra points.
My Take
It wasn't a perfect game, but the Lions won and looked better offensively. This was a safe game in terms of overall performance, which is fine, but the Lions need to start taking more risks to win games, especially with next week's opponent, the undefeated Seattle Seahawks. Hopefully, Week 3's game was just a breather game for the Lions to find some rhythm and footing and look to progress more as the season goes on.
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