GLENDALE, Ariz. — Overcoming a disastrous opening period that produced negative yardage, the Detroit Lions stormed back behind four total touchdowns from Jared Goff and a historic afternoon from Jahmyr Gibbs to defeat the Arizona Cardinals 45-21 on Sunday.
The victory at State Farm Stadium pushed the Lions to a 3-2 record heading into their bye week, while Arizona slipped to 1-4 on the season, Roundtable Sports reported.
Lions rebound from rocky opening quarter
Detroit struggled out of the gate, going three-and-out on each of its first three possessions. The Lions surrendered two sacks on Goff’s first two dropbacks and ended the opening quarter with minus-9 total yards of offense, according to Pride Of Detroit. Arizona capitalized on its opening possession, marching down the field to grab an early 7-0 lead on a touchdown pass from Jacoby Brissett.
The momentum shifted dramatically in the second quarter. Detroit ignited a seven-play, 54-yard scoring drive capped by a 1-yard touchdown plunge from Gibbs to tie the score. After the defense forced a three-and-out, Goff found tight end Sam LaPorta on a 38-yard touchdown strike off a play-action fake, handing the Lions a 14-7 advantage.
Detroit expanded the margin before the break when Goff connected with wide receiver Jameson Williams on an 8-yard touchdown pass. A late field goal and a desperate end-of-half interception by rookie defensive back Keith Abney II sent Detroit into the locker room holding a 24-7 halftime cushion, Sports Illustrated reported.
Historic milestones for Goff and Gibbs
Goff finished the afternoon with 271 passing yards, three touchdown passes and a 1-yard rushing score. By avoiding a turnover, the Detroit quarterback entered the NFL record book. According to the team’s public relations department, Goff joined Russell Wilson (2019) as the only quarterbacks in league history to throw at least 12 touchdown passes without an interception through the first five games of a season, Detroit Sports Nation reported.
Gibbs served as the focal point of the ground attack, compiling 151 rushing yards on 25 carries and adding five catches for 56 yards to surpass 200 scrimmage yards on 30 touches. His first touchdown matched Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders for the most career touchdowns by an NFL player under age 25, and Gibbs broke the franchise legend’s record later in the contest when he reversed field at the goal line for his second score of the afternoon, Pride Of Detroit reported.
Williams also notched a milestone, registering his first career multi-touchdown game by hauling in a 39-yard score in the third quarter to go with his earlier red-zone catch.
Defense settles in after opening drive
After yielding a touchdown drive to begin the contest, Detroit’s defense stifled the Cardinals with five consecutive three-and-out stops, Pride Of Detroit reported. Defensive end DJ Wonnum tallied two sacks on Brissett, raising his team-leading sack count to 5.0 on the year. Defensive tackle Alim McNeill also contributed a half-sack in the victory.
The Lions did sustain an injury on special teams, as return specialist Tom Kennedy exited in the first half following a punt return and did not return, Sports Illustrated reported.
Detroit now enters its scheduled bye week before preparing for an NFC North clash against the Green Bay Packers, with starting center Cade Mays potentially nearing a return to the offensive line.
