The Arizona Cardinals don’t have much room for error anymore. At 1-3-0, they’re either about to start clawing back into this season or sink even deeper, and the next swing game comes this weekend against the Detroit Lions.
Detroit is in a tricky spot too. The Lions are 2-2-0, and another loss would drag them further down the board in a hurry. Arizona can’t afford to let that happen if it wants to stop the slide from turning into something much uglier.
So how do the Cardinals take this one? Start by going where Detroit has been vulnerable all season.
Feed McBride and Higgins
The easiest place to attack the Lions is through the tight ends. Through four games, Detroit has been bad in coverage against that group, and that lines up nicely with what Arizona already likes to do.
Trey McBride has been a major part of the offense all year. He’s third in the league with 33 receptions and tied for second with 46 targets. The catch, though, is that only 36.4 of his receptions are turning into first downs, which is well below the league leaders at 70%.
Detroit’s linebackers have had real trouble handling tight ends in coverage, and the Lions’ answer is usually to rally quickly and make the tackle after the catch rather than letting the play turn into something bigger. That means Arizona has to keep forcing the issue.
Elijah Higgins should also be part of the plan. If Detroit loads up on McBride, Higgins has the hands and after-the-catch ability to punish them for it.
Let Brissett keep firing
If there’s a weakness the Cardinals can really lean on, it’s Detroit’s secondary. The Lions’ defensive backfield has been a mess, ranking dead last in pass coverage.
That should give Jacoby Brissett a chance to work. Arizona needs to stay aggressive, mixing short and intermediate throws with a few deeper shots to keep the linebackers and safeties from sitting on the same routes all day.
The numbers behind Detroit’s pass defense are ugly. The Lions have allowed the most passing yards in the league at 1,308, the second most pass attempts at 165, the most completions at 115, and the third most passing touchdowns with 11. They’re also ranked No. 29 in completion percentage allowed at 69.7% and have given up the fourth most first-down conversions through the air with 40.
Brissett’s target should be a big one: a 400-plus yard day. Against this defense, that’s not a wild idea. Detroit is giving up a league-high 304.0 passing yards per game.
The line has to survive
None of that matters if Brissett doesn’t have time to throw. That’s the concern now that Paris Johnson is out for the year and Isaiah Adams has also been ruled out.
Jon Gaines is stepping in for Adams, while rookie Jayden Williams is now the left tackle. Arizona also added veteran Jedrick Wills, who is strong in the run game but not a good pass protector.
Gaines has already filled in once this season and earned a 60.8 grade from Pro Football Focus in that game, including a 64.9 mark in pass blocking.
Williams is the wild card. The seventh-round pick out of Ole Miss was called a “steal” by several outlets after the draft, and he’s had training camp, preseason, and four weeks of development behind him now.
He could be the weak spot, or he could turn heads. In his final season at Ole Miss, he allowed only two sacks in a tough conference, and he’ll be tested by D.J.
Wonnum on the edge.
In Other News...
Marvin Harrison Jr. Just Became A Real Cardinals Deadline Story
Marvin Harrison Jr. has only just started to settle into his place in Arizona, but his name is already surfacing in deadline chatter as the NFL moves closer to the next round of roster maneuvering. ESPNs Josh Weinfuss and Stephen Holder reported that the Indianapolis Colts are among the teams doing due diligence on the Cardinals wideout, a reminder that even a former No. 4 overall pick can become part of the leagues wider trade conversation before his rookie chapter has fully unfolded.
For Arizona, the important part is what is not happening right now. The Cardinals are not shopping Harrison, and he has said he is focused on helping the team win rather than tracking rumors around him. Still, the fact that another team would be willing to explore the idea if he somehow became available is enough to make this worth watching as the deadline picture sharpens around a player who has already appeared in four games this season. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Already Lost One Starter As Lions Injury Picture Shifts
The Cardinals have already had to adjust for their Week 5 matchup with the Lions, ruling out starting safety Andrew Wingard for Sundays game. Its a significant early-week hit for Arizona, especially with Detroit bringing plenty of physicality and motion stress into the matchup, but the rest of the injury report offered a few reasons for optimism as the week moved along.
Head coach Mike LaFleur said running back Jeremiyah Love and defensive lineman Walter Nolen III are trending in the right direction, while also noting that tight end Hunter Longs injury is not season-ending. Outside linebacker Jordan Burch is expected to be available, so Arizonas picture is a lot clearer than it could have been, even if the biggest uncertainty from the week still hangs over how much depth the Cardinals will have where they need it most. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Suddenly Have A Secondary Problem They Cant Ignore
With Will Johnson sidelined, the Cardinals took a close look at the back end of their defense by bringing in four safeties for a workout as they try to steady a coverage unit that has suddenly become harder to trust. DAnthony Bell, Dan Jackson, Mark Perry and Nate Valcarcel all got a chance to show what they could offer, a sign Arizona is keeping the door open for help while sorting through the fallout in its defensive backfield.
Mark Perry emerged from that group with the immediate opportunity, landing on the practice squad as the Cardinals continue to patch together answers behind an injury-hit secondary. For a team already trying to manage one personnel hit in the defensive backfield, the move suggests this is less about a one-day audition than an ongoing search for someone who can help stabilize the room. [Read more 🡒]