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Detroit Lions show resiliency but catch big break to stifle Arizona Cardinals, 20-13
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- Detroit Lions show resiliency but catch big break to stifle Arizona Cardinals, 20-13
GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Detroit Lions strayed too far from their identity in last week's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers . It didn't take long for them to re-establish it Sunday.
The Lions leaned heavily on David Montgomery , Jahmyr Gibbs and their offensive line to beat the Arizona Cardinals in a slugfest at State Farm Stadium, 20-13 in Week 3 of the NFL season .
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Montgomery ran for 106 yards on 23 carries and Gibbs added 83 yards rushing on 16 carries as the Lions outphysicalled the Cardinals at the line of scrimmage.
The Lions opened the game in a big-personnel package with Dan Skipper on the field as a sixth lineman and two tight ends, and outmuscled the Cardinals all day.
Montgomery scored on a 1-yard touchdown run on the opening drive, Gibbs shouldered most of the work on the Lions' ensuing touchdown drive, and when the Lions needed to ice the game late in the fourth quarter, they did it with an 8-yard run by Jared Goff for a first down.
Jahmyr Gibbs of the Detroit Lions scores a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals during the second quarter at State Farm Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024 in Glendale, Arizona.
The Lions (2-1) haven't dominated on offense through three games like they did last year. They've scored just 56 points in regulation in three games. But they rediscovered their identity in rushing for 187 yards Sunday, and it couldn't have come at a better time.
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It came at price: Tight end Sam LaPorta was one of four Lions starters injured, including defensive back Brian Branch , who exited with a neck injury in the fourth quarter after a scary collision. Defensive tackle Alim McNeill and linebacker Derrick Barnes were ruled out in the first half with knee injuries .
The Lions host the Seattle Seahawks (3-0) on Monday Night Football in Week 4.
Here are three more thoughts from the Lions' win over the Cardinals:
Them's the breaks
The Lions caught a huge break just before the two-minute warning of the first half, when Frank Ragnow snapped the ball and Goff threw a pass under pressure that was tipped at the line of scrimmage and returned for a touchdown that didn't count by Mack Wilson .
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Officials blew the play dead for the two-minute warning, though a Fox replay show Ragnow made the snap with 2:01 still showing on the clock and Goff anxiously calling for the ball.
The Lions converted a third-and-12 on the first snap after the two-minute warning with a 14-yard run by Gibbs, then scored two plays later on a beautifully designed and executed hook-and-ladder to Amon-Ra St. Brown , with St. Brown tossing the ball to Gibbs, who followed a LaPorta block to the end zone for a touchdown.
Offensive coordinator Ben Johnson made a great call on the play, pulling it out at a time when it's rarely used in a game. More importantly, the score gave the Lions a 20-6 lead and momentum at a time when it could have headed the other way. Arizona rallied for a field goal before halftime and trailed 20-10 heading to the locker room, but the Cardinals would have led, 14-13, had the interception play stood, with the Lions having a chance to flip the scoreboard before halftime.
For a team that used to count bad luck as its only kind of luck, the Lions had someone smiling on them Sunday.
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Decimated Detroit Lions defense
LaPorta limped off the field with a leg injury after Gibbs' touchdown, one of at least eight Lions who left their most physical game of the season with some sort of injury.
Beyond LaPorta, who finished the game but limped off after several other snaps, most of the Lions' walking wounded Sunday were defensive players. McNeill (shoulder), Barnes (knee) and Branch (neck) left with injuries and did not return, and Marcus Davenport , Levi Onwuzurike and Terrion Arnold all missed at least a handful of plays before returning.
On offense, sixth offensive lineman Dan Skipper also left and returned, and appeared to wear a wrap of some sort on his rib cage at various times on the sideline.
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We don't know yet who if anyone will miss time, but the Lions have an extra day to get healthy next week before hosting the Seattle Seahawks on Monday night and a bye the week after that suddenly looks welcome early in the season.
Making money
The Lions handed out a host of extensions before the season , to Jared Goff, Penei Sewell , Amon-Ra St. Brown and Taylor Decker . They've had discussions about extending several young other players, including McNeill, Onwuzurike and Barnes.
Two more young defensive cornerstones, Aidan Hutchinson and Kerby Joseph , are eligible for new deals next offseason, and while the team is sure to try and extend Hutchinson, Joseph's future has been much less discussed.
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Well, it might be time for the Lions to start planning for a Joseph extension. The third-year safety had a strong game Sunday, intercepting a Kyler Murray pass in the end zone and breaking up a big fourth-and-6 pass in the fourth quarter to tight end Trey McBride.
I don't know if the Lions will pay Joseph. Brad Holmes comes from a Los Angeles Rams team that didn't believe in paying the position. But he's played well enough this season to warrant a deal.
Dave Birkett is the author of the new book, " Detroit Lions : An Illustrated Timeline." Preorder it now from Reedy Press .
Contact him at dbirkett@freepress.com . Follow him on X and Instagram at @davebirkett.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lions show resiliency but catch big break to beat Cardinals, 20-13
