Detroit Lions: 10 keys for a week 1 win over the Cardinals
The Detroit Lions look for a week one against the Arizona Cardinals. Here are the ten keys that will lead to a Detroit Lions victory.
1. Establish the run early
The Detroit Lions and their struggles running the football have been well documented. Since 2014 when Head Coach Jim Caldwell took over, Detroit has not had a 100 yard rusher. A healthy Ameer Abdullah at running back can change that. Abdullah looked excellent (5.6 yards per carry) before his injury in 2016. The new offensive line acquisitions must set the tone. Right guard T.J. Lang and right tackle Rick Wagner are proven veterans. They were specifically brought in to clear space for Abdullah.
The Cardinals were a stout run defense last year, only allowing 3.6 yards per carry (which tied for 2nd in the NFL last year). Matthew Stafford needs help and having success running the ball will open up the middle of the field to attack and make big plays in the passing game.
2. Glover Quin must protect the back end
The Arizona Cardinals are known for their deep passing game and taking shots down the field. According to Pro Football Focus, QB Carson Palmer threw the deep ball (passes of 20 yards or more in the air) 11.6% of the time. Cardinals wide receivers J.J. Nelson and John Brown are both known for being able to run multiple routes to get open deep.
Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians will take shots down the field but the Lions can use free safety Glover Quin to combat that. Quin is a rangy safety that can protect against the deep pass. He has 16 interceptions in his four years with Detroit. He’s not going to be able to cover the whole field, but this is where Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin must use him to protect against the deep ball.
3. Use screens to counter the blitz
The Arizona Cardinals are aggressive on offense. The Cardinals also attack aggressively on defense. They blitz as much as anyone in the NFL. Outside linebackers Markus Golden (12.5 sacks in 2016) and Chandler Jones (11 sacks in 2016) are used in a variety of ways. The Cardinals move them frequently to get better matchups and attack the quarterback.
Lions offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter has a lot of different screens in the playbook. He will need to prepare all of them in this game. Keeping the Cardinals off balance defensively will be a huge factor in Sunday’s game. With hybrid linebacker Deone Bucannon out for the Cardinals, the Lions can be aggressive with middle screens and use running back Theo Riddick in the passing attack.
4. Watch Larry Fitzgerald on third down
Wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald continues his great career as a slot receiver for Arizona. While not known for his speed, he uses his size and great hands to be a factor in the middle of the field. The Lions still are not sure who will be the nickel cornerback between D.J. Hayden and Quandre Diggs which was a weak spot for the Lions last year. Fitzgerald led the NFL with 107 receptions and Palmer loves going to him on third down. The Lions need to focus their attention on Fitzgerald in third and short/medium situations by using man/zone combination coverages and making sure he does not get free in the middle.
5. Target Kenny Golladay in the red zone
The Lions struggled to finish in the red zone, only scoring touchdowns 54.2% of the time inside the opponent’s 20. The Lions were one dimensional with a weak running game but the Lions also missed Calvin Johnson after his retirement. Rookie wide receiver Kenny Golladay can help in red zone situations. Golladay is 6’4 and an explosive leaper, giving him an advantage in one-on-one situations. This is something the Lions really missed last year and Golladay can add something to the offense. Another positive Golladay brings is that this will give Golden Tate more chances in the slot position. Tate will get more favorable matchups that he can take advantage of against Arizona.
6. Who will step up at defensive end?
The biggest way to disrupt the Cardinals deep passing attack is to get to the quarterback. The Cardinals were 18th in protecting the quarterback, with the quarterback getting sacked at 5.97% (per 100 offensive plays). When Carson Palmer is being pressured he is more prone to throw picks and make mistakes. He isn’t mobile and can be a statue in the pocket, putting a target on his back.
The Lions were flat out bad at sacking the quarterback in 2016. Part of that was Ezekiel Ansah being injured and he is dealing with injuries leading up to Sunday’s game. The Lions are looking at Cornelius Washington and Anthony Zettel to make noise at defensive end, but neither is proven at the NFL level. It will be interesting to watch Teryl Austin and see if he blitzes to get pressure on Palmer.
7. Roll Matthew Stafford out
The Arizona Cardinals love to blitz as previously discussed. The Cardinals love to overload one side and bring constant pressure. Jim Bob Cooter needs to move Stafford away from the blitz when the Cardinals do overload. This will buy Stafford more time and move him away from the pressure. It will give him easier reads against the complex blitzes the Cardinals will throw at him. This also should create some one-on-one matchups for Golden Tate and Marvin Jones Jr.
8. Keep David Johnson out of the passing game
David Johnson is an elite NFL running back and he does it all. He is incredibly dangerous in the passing game. He had 80 catches in 2016 and is a favorite target of Palmer on third down. Johnson is going to get yards running the ball. The Cardinals will go to him early and often in the running game. The Lions must keep him contained as a receiver for a victory. If he catches the ball, do not let him make big plays. You must wrap up and gang tackle Johnson to prevent the big play.
9. Watch left tackle Greg Robinson
Greg Robinson (the #2 overall pick in 2014) did not live up to the hype coming out of Auburn with the Los Angeles Rams. He will get a shot at redemption in Detroit taking over for the injured Taylor Decker. Robinson has played at guard in the NFL so left tackle is new ground for him. He has the huge task of protecting Matthew Stafford’s blindside. It will not be an easy game to get his feet wet because of Markus Golden and Chandler Jones lining up as end rushers. It would not surprise me if the Lions send continuous help to his side in week one. Expect a lot of chips on the left and also keeping the back in to help with the blitzes the Cardinals will send.
10. Don’t be lulled to sleep on defense
The biggest concern I have is the big play by the Cardinals. Bruce Arians will not be afraid to go after Detroit deep and the Lions did not have a strong secondary last year. Arians is really good at playing the waiting game. He will play short on offense until you start creeping up to the line and then attack. The Lions must be cautious all game on every down and distance and protect against the deep ball. David Johnson is going to get one-on-one matchups and Detroit has to contain him.
Next: Lions 2017 game-by-game predictions
While the Lions should be able to have success against the Cardinals defense and score points, Arizona will attack the secondary all game. If the Lions prevent the big play and run the ball well, Detroit should get a win Sunday.