Birdseed: Inside the numbers of Cardinals at Lions

Let’s go inside the numbers as the Arizona Cardinals open up on the road against the Lions in Detroit.

Arizona would extend its winning streak against the Lions to eight games. That would tie the second-longest win streak in franchise history against any single opponent. The longest in team history is nine straight vs. Philadelphia (1974-78).

The Cardinals would improve to 6-1 against teams from the NFC North under head coach Bruce Arians, including a 4-0 record against the Lions.

Four Cardinals players changed jersey numbers recently.

G Alex Boone will wear No. 75 (previously No. 71)

LB Josh Bynes will wear No. 57 (previously No. 45)

T Ulrick John will wear No. 71 (previously No. 75)

CB Tramon Williams will wear No. 25 (previously No. 37)

The Cardinals led the NFC in total defense (305.2 yards per game) and ranked first in the NFL in sacks (48) in 2016.

QB Carson Palmer passed for 4,233 yards last season, his third with more than 3,500 yards with Arizona, and most in franchise history. He Has four 4,000-yard seasons in the past five years and ranks 14th in career pass yards (44,269) and TD passes (285) in NFL history. He needs 125 passing yards to pass Charley Johnson (14,928) to move into fifth place on the Cardinals all-time passing yardage list.

With 300 passing yards, Palmer would establish a new franchise record with 23 total 300-yard performances as a member of the Cardinals. With 343 passing yards, Palmer would pass Drew Bledsoe (44,611) for 13th place on the NFL’s all-time passing yardage list.

Palmer enters Sunday’s game needing four touchdown passes to reach 100 as a member of the Cardinals. He would join Kurt Warner (Arizona/St. Louis), Fran Tarkenton (Minnesota/New York Giants) and Peyton Manning (Denver/Indianapolis) as the only players in NFL history with more than 100 TD passes for multiple teams.

RB David Johnson set single-season franchise records in scrimmage yards (2,118), rushing touchdowns (16) & total touchdowns (20) in 2016. He had a NFL-record 15 consecutive games with more than 100 scrimmage yards.

With two rushing touchdowns, Johnson would tie Hall of Fame running back Ernie Nevers (26) for seventh place on the franchise’s all-time rushing touchdowns list. With two touchdowns of any kind, Johnson would have 35 touchdowns in 33 career games.

In NFL history, only Jim Brown (38), Gayle Sayers (38), Eric Dickerson (37), Abner Haynes (37) and Edgerrin James (37) have more in their first 33 games.

WR Larry Fitzgerald ranks third all-time in receptions (1,125) and eighth in touchdown catches (104). He led the NFL in receptions (107) last season and has four receiving touchdowns in the past three NFL Kickoff Weekend road games.

With one catch, Fitzgerald would have a reception in 196 consecutive games, extending the third-longest streak in NFL history.

With 82 receiving yards, Fitzgerald would join Jerry Rice, Andre Reed, Randy Moss and Don Maynard as the only players in NFL history with more than 1,000 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in season openers.

WR J.J. Nelson had a career-high 568 receiving yards & six touchdowns last season.

LB Markus Golden led the team with a career-high 12.5 sacks last season, tied for third-most in the league.

With a sack, Golden would have at least one in four-consecutive games dating back to last season. He would also have 6.5 total sacks during that span.

With two sacks, Golden would have at least two sacks in three-consecutive games dating back to last season. He would become the first player in franchise history with more than two in three-straight games.

LB Chandler Jones had 11 sacks in 2016, his third season with more than 10. Jones & Golden each had four forced fumbles, which tied for fourth in the NFC last season.

LB Deone Bucannon was second on the team with 89 tackles in 2016.

LB Karlos Dansby makes his return to Arizona (2004-09). He has more than 90 tackles in 10 consecutive-seasons. Since 2007, he has 1,095 tackles, third-most in the NFL.

With an interception, Dansby would have 20 in his career. Along with his 42.0 sacks, he would become just the fifth player in NFL history with more than 40 career sacks and 20 career interceptions; joining Seth Joyner, Ray Lewis, Wilber Marshall and Brian Urlacher.

CB Patrick Peterson has 20 interceptions since 2011, tied for third in the NFL.

K Phil Dawson only needs two points to pass Hall of Fame kicker Jan Stenerud (1,699) for 14th place on the NFL’s all-time scoring list.

The Lions earned a playoff berth in 2016 for the second time in the past three seasons.

QB Matthew Stafford passed for 4,327 yards last season, fifth-most in franchise history. He also posted a 93.3 QBR, third-highest in Detroit history.

He led eight game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime in 2016, most such drives by a quarterback in a single season since 1970.

He’s passed for more than 4,000 yards in each of the past six seasons and is the franchise leader in career completions (2,634), pass yards (30,303) and passing touchdowns (187).

RB Theo Riddick tied for the top spot in the NFL among running backs with five receiving touchdowns in 2016. Since 2015, he ranks first in receptions (133) & second in receiving yards (1,068) among NFL running backs.

WR Golden Tate had 91 receptions for 1,077 yards in 2016, his second career 1,000-yard season. He has more than 90 catches in three-consecutive seasons.

WR Marvin Jones, Jr. had a career-high in receiving yards, finishing 2016 with 930.

TE Eric Ebron set career-highs in 2016 in receptions (61) and receiving yards (711).

DE Ezekiel Ansah has 32 sacks since entering the league in 2013. He recorded a sack in the team’s last meeting with Arizona.

LB Tahir Whitehead led his team with a career-high 132 tackles last season.

CB Darius Slay led the Lions with 13 passes deflected in 2016, his third-consecutive season with more than 13.

S Glover Quin has 16 interceptions since 2013, most among NFC safeties.

K Matt Prater made seven field goals from more than 50 yards out in 2016, tied for second-most in the NFL.

Numbers courtesy of NFL Media and the Arizona Cardinals.

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