Detroit Lions vs. Arizona Cardinals: A Birds Eye View

This Sunday the Detroit Lions head to the desert to take on the Arizona Cardinals with plenty on the line. Not only do the Lions bring a four-game winning streak into the match-up, but they’ll also be playing for the top spot in the NFC. Implications could also include home field advantage in the playoffs as the post season approaches.

In honor of the Detroit Lions biggest game to date in 2014, we reached out to our friends (and enemies) at HeatWaved. HeatWaved in a fellow FanSided site, and their own Tony Fischer offered up some insight on things from across enemy lines.

DJC: The stakes are high Sunday with NFC supremacy on the line. In your honest opinion, who pulls out the W?

"HW: “I think the Arizona Cardinals win this game. It is very difficult for even the best of NFL teams to win on the road. The University of Phoenix Stadium will be filled with the Birdgang and they will be fired up. That will give the Cardinals the slight edge they need.”"

DJC: Palmer is out for the year with a torn ACL. Can Arizona get the job done Sunday with Drew Stanton?

"HW: “Yes! Drew Stanton is an efficient game manager and won’t do anything to hurt his team. Stanton is accurate and capable of the big play when he gets the ball to deep ball specialists John Brown, Michael Floyd and Larry Fitzgerald. He also has a great safety valve in Running back Andre Ellington. He already developed chemistry with all of the receivers during Carson Palmer‘s first stint on the DL so the transition will be minimal.”"

DJC: Patrick Peterson recently said that “he’s turned a corner” this season. Can he contain Megatron come Sunday?

"HW: “Can anyone really contain Megatron? It will be especially difficult for the Cardinals to do that considering their blitz heavy defensive scheme. If the Cardinals contain Calvin Johnson it will be the product good coverage and the blitz getting to Stafford.”"

DJC: The Lions have the top ranked defense in the NFL. How do you think Andre Ellington will fair against Suh and Co.?

"HW: “Ellington should do well against the Lions because of his versatility. The Cardinals will find a way to get him touches in open space with the screen pass. If the Cardinals can have success executing the screen that could slow the aggressive Lions pass rush because they will be forced to play more containment. In fact if I had to pick one key player in this game its Andre Ellington. If he can be productive the Cardinals offense could have a decent day.”"

DJC: On the Arizona side of the football, who is a sleeper worth keeping an eye on in this match-up?

"HW: “WR John Brown, the Cardinals are similar to the Lions in the way that they have multiple weapons at receiver. Larry Fitzgerald, Michael Floyd and Andre Ellington all require attention in the passing game. The one player defense fall asleep on is John Brown. When that happens a big scoring play is usually the result.”"

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