Golladay, Lions take down Cardinals in season opener
By Matt Bosko
Backed by an inspired effort by the defense and a two-touchdown debut by Kenny Golladay, the Detroit Lions beat the Arizona Cardinals for the first time since 2005.
Chalk up another fourth quarter comeback to Matthew Stafford, who turned a dismal start into a four touchdown performance for the Detroit Lions on Sunday afternoon.
The beginning of the game could not have been any more Lions-esque: Tavon Wilson intercepted a Carson Palmer pass on the opening drive, and Matthew Stafford returned the favor by throwing a pick-six on the ensuing drive on an intended pass to Golden Tate. Two drives later, Lions punter Casey Redfern fumbled the snap in his own end zone, took a hard hit along the sideline, and never returned to the game.
This led to Matt Prater responsible for kicking both punts and field goals for the remainder of the contest, and backup quarterback Jake Rudock as the holder on the field goal unit. While Prater handled his debut as a punter honorably, Rudock botched the hold on an early extra point attempt.
While offense and special teams struggled mightily early on, the defense of the Detroit Lions was steady for the entire game. The unit notched a total of four turnovers, including three interceptions on Carson Palmer and a forced fumble.
The defensive line, perhaps the biggest question mark for the Lions heading into the season, applied pressure on Palmer all day and limited the Cardinals rushing attack to just 45 yards on 18 carries. Anthony Zettel had a particularly strong performance, tallying one sack and two tackles for loss.
Trailing 17-15 heading into the fourth quarter, the Lions offense finally opened up. While Golden Tate (10 rec., 108 yards) provided a reliable target for Matthew Stafford, it was hype train conductor Kenny Golladay who helped break the game wide open with a pair of touchdown catches – including a dazzling grab on a 45-yard bomb.
The Lions defense sealed the deal after Golladay’s second score, as safety Miles Killebrew returned Palmer’s third interception of the game for a touchdown.
Next: Lions game balls for week 1
Though the Lions finished with a strong performance in all three phases of the game, it will take a much more consistent effort next week on the road against the New York Giants on Monday Night Football.