The Detroit Lions had to sit through plenty of noise heading into Week 5, and the criticism wasn’t limited to one side of the ball. The defense was under the microscope, sure, but the offense had questions of its own after a sluggish start to the season. By the time Detroit finished off the Arizona Cardinals 45-21, though, both units had found enough of a rhythm to flip the game.
The biggest swing may have come from the pass rush. DJ Wonnum was the standout up front, finishing with two tackles and two sacks as the Lions made life difficult for Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett. Wonnum has become exactly the kind of presence Detroit needed opposite EDGE Aidan Hutchinson - someone who can win one-on-one matchups and force offenses to account for more than just Hutchinson and defensive tackle Alim McNeill.
McNeill already has 3.5 sacks through five games, and Hutchinson has four. Even so, Wonnum now leads the group with 5.0, which says plenty about how quickly he’s changed the look of this front. Detroit finally has a pass rush that can bother quarterbacks on its own.
The secondary, which has taken plenty of heat over the past month, also gave the Lions something to build on. Arizona opened with an easy march down the field and a touchdown tied to the tight end position, and that first drive looked like it could spell trouble. Instead, Detroit responded with five straight three-and-outs before rookie defensive back Keith Abney II picked off a pass on the sixth drive to close the half.
The Cardinals’ tight ends still made noise - 14 catches, 138 yards and three touchdowns - and the coverage wasn’t spotless. But the Lions did enough to create stops when they mattered and avoid folding after the early punch. With Brian Branch due back soon and Kerby Joseph potentially on the way as well, there’s help coming for a unit that badly needed a jolt.
On offense, the opening quarter was rough enough to keep the Lions from settling in early. Detroit started with another three-and-out and finished the first quarter with minus-9 yards after three straight three-and-outs. Jared Goff was under pressure far too often, Jahmyr Gibbs had nowhere to run, and the whole operation looked stuck in neutral.
That kind of start could have turned ugly against a better opponent. The Lions have already seen how fast things can spiral, and this game had the feel of one that could have gotten away from them if Arizona had been sharper early.
There was also a shaky stretch for the offensive line, which gave up three sacks before settling down. It was Detroit’s worst-looking sequence of the season up front, even if the final three quarters were cleaner.
Help is on the horizon, though, with starting center Cade Mays set to return soon after his practice window opened earlier in the week. Dan Campbell thinks Mays could debut against the Packers, and that should give the line a needed boost.
Then came the finishing touches from two stars who changed the game in different ways. Gibbs put up 25 carries for 151 yards and two touchdowns, along with five catches for 56 yards, after a quieter start.
His first touchdown tied Barry Sanders for the most touchdowns scored in NFL history by a player under 25, and his second pushed him past that mark. Gibbs doesn’t turn 25 until March 2027, so there’s plenty more time for the record book to get even more crowded.
Jameson Williams finally got his breakout moment, too. After a slow start to 2026 and drops that had slowed him down early, the receiver delivered his first career multi-touchdown game.
He didn’t clear 50 receiving yards, but he found the end zone twice and now has 12+ touchdowns of 35+ yards or more, according to the Detroit Lions. Detroit has been hunting for more explosive plays, and Williams delivered them when it counted.
In Other News...
Lions Gave Fans Real Hope And One Big Debate After Arizona
After a sluggish opening in Week 5 against Arizona, the Lions settled in and turned the game into the kind of complete performance that can make a team feel very different about itself. Detroit started finding answers on offense through both the passing game and the run, while the defense looked sharper against the run and more disruptive up front than it had earlier in the season.
The Cardinals have been a struggling opponent, but the way Detroit handled the rest of the afternoon stood out even in that context. The bigger question now is how much of that surge was a one-game reset and how much was the start of something more sustainable, because the Lions left Arizona with real optimism and a fresh debate about what they may have finally figured out. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Offense Sent A Clear Week 5 Message After That Rough Start
After a shaky start to the season, the Lions answered in a way that should resonate with a team built on tempo, balance and confidence. Detroit rolled past Arizona 45-21 in Week 5 to get back above .500, and the offense looked far more like the version that has driven the franchises rise than the one that had been searching for rhythm early on. Jared Goff was sharp throughout, Jahmyr Gibbs gave the attack a burst on the ground and through the air, and the whole operation moved with the kind of ease Detroit has been chasing.
There was plenty else to like beyond the points total, too, as the defense added heat of its own and kept the Cardinals from settling in. The result was the kind of complete performance that can reset a season, especially for a team trying to prove its early issues were just that, early issues. Even with a few moving parts still to monitor, the Lions left Week 5 with a clearer picture of who they want to be and a win that felt as important for the message as for the standings. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Face One Early Test They Cant Afford To Flunk
The Lions head into the bye week at 3-2, which gives them a little time to reset after the first five games and get healthier before the schedule tightens again. Help should be on the way when play resumes in Week 7, with Cade Mays and Brian Branch both expected back in the lineup, a timely boost for a team that still looks very much in the thick of the NFC North race.
For now, Detroit sits second in the division picture, with Chicago and Green Bay both trying to sort through their own problems. The bigger concern for the Lions is making sure the break actually pays off, because a strong start only matters if they come out of it sharp and avoid letting the division pace slip away in October. [Read more 🡒]