Cardinals follow win in Green Bay with ‘surprising’ flop vs. Lions
Dec 9, 2018, 7:19 PM
Detroit Lions running back Zach Zenner (34) tries to elude Arizona Cardinals defensive end Zach Moore (56) during the first half of NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
(AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
GLENDALE, Ariz. — Cardinals coach Steve Wilks figured his team would play with some pop coming off a road win last week in a chilly Lambeau Field.
It turns out any momentum from that victory over the Green Bay Packers didn’t thaw out by Sunday.
A bland offensive effort, a pick-six and one offensive touchdown was enough for the Detroit Lions to beat Arizona, 17-3, at State Farm Stadium, dropping the Cardinals to 3-10 on the season.
“Extremely surprised,” Wilks said of the performance. “Great momentum (last week), big win. We had a great week of practice. We have to learn how to finish. That’s what we didn’t do.”
The specifics: The offensive line couldn’t create any push or any holes as David Johnson rushed 15 times for 49 yards.
Without receiver Christian Kirk stretching the Lions defense horizontally off pre- or post-snap motions, the offense looked predictable and bland. Arizona went with heavy doses of max protection in the run game yet ended up throwing the ball a season-high 41 times.
Despite the many opportunities, quarterback Josh Rosen could only muster 240 yards, completing 26 of 41 passes for no scores and a back-breaking interception.
The highlight of the day came when Rosen connected with Larry Fitzgerald on a 14-yard strike in the third quarter, giving the receiver the most catches with one team in NFL history. Four plays later, the rookie quarterback was picked off by Lions cornerback Darius Slay, who went 67 yards down the sideline for a touchdown to give Detroit a 10-0 lead with three minutes left in the third quarter.
“We thought it was a good opportunity for us to hit two (wins) in a row and we didn’t,” Rosen said. “It sucks.
“There are a lot of (misses) all over the film. It’ll be a frustrating Monday, but a Monday that needs to happen.”
There was another positive that turned out to be fool’s gold. The Cardinals’ defense looked like it would keep the anemic offense within reach of Detroit throughout.
The Lions produced fewer yards (279-218), fewer first-downs (22-16), had fewer drives (12-10) and fewer yards per play (4.3-4.0).
Detroit had just 73 net yards rushing entering the fourth quarter behind running backs LeGarrette Blount and Theo Reddick.
It took until the 8:14 mark in the fourth quarter for the Cardinals to score. Rosen found a rhythm, hitting rookie receiver Trent Sherfield on 17- and 18-yard passes to begin a 10-play, 62-yard drive that wrapped on a 22-yard field goal by Zane Gonzalez, bringing Arizona within 10-3.
Then the Lions turned to little-used backup Zach Zenner.
Zenner rushed 11 times for 52 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter and led the Lions on a seven-play, 75-yard drive that followed Gonzalez’s field goal.
“That was disappointing. Besides the first series … when they kind of got the run going,” safety Antoine Bethea said. “I think the rest of the game we did a pretty good job except for that last series.
“Like I say, any given Sunday, but I figured we would come out here and play really well coming off the win on the road in Green Bay. That didn’t happen today.”
