Click here to see all recaps on a single page
| Other Week 10 Game Recaps | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATL at CAR | BUF at MIA | CHI at OAK | CIN at BAL | CLE at PIT | DAL at NYG | DEN at KC | DET at ARI |
| IND at SD | JAX at TEN | MIN at GB | PHI at WAS | SF at SEA | STL at NO | ||
Week 10 Game Recap: Detroit Lions 21, Arizona Cardinals 31
What you need to know
| Detroit Lions |
The Detroit Lions road woes continue as the team turned the ball over five times en route to their third loss of the season. The Lions virtually had no running game finishing the contest with just eight rushing plays for a net of negative 18 yards, an NFL record. The team committed ten penalties for 70 yards. At one point in the second half the team turned the ball over on four successive drives. (two fumbles, an interception and a failed fourth down conversion) Despite all their blunders, the Lions had chances to win the game, but critical mistakes doomed their chances.
Jon Kitna's stats were aided by the Lions playing catch up for most of this game. He finished with 294 yards completing 32 of 45 passes with two touchdowns, two interceptions and three fumbles losing two of them. He completed passes to eight different receivers. Most of his passes were thrown under duress. He was sacked four times. Kitna did have a 47 yard touchdown pass to Roy Williams nullified by an illegal formation penalty in the fourth quarter. Eight plays later, he hit Williams again for his second touchdown of the game.
Kevin Jones ended the game with four carries for negative four yards, but did score on a four yard touchdown early in the first quarter to give the Lions a 7-0 lead. The Lions ground game set an NFL record for rushing futility with minus 18 yards on eight carries. Enough said.
Roy Williams caught both Kitna touchdowns on short passes that were mainly jump balls going up high to grab the football from the defender. He finished the game with six receptions for 45 yards. His touchdowns were both seven yards. Shaun McDonald finished the games as the Lions' leading receiver with 73 yards on six catches. He was targeted over the middle on crossing routes under the Arizona line backing unit. Johnson was targeted on deep out routes and caught three balls for 37 yards. Johnson also had a near miss touchdown early in the first quarter, but had the ball roll just off his fingertips for an incompletion. Like McDonald, Furrey was targeted on short crossing routes.
| Arizona Cardinals |
The Cardinals did not dominate the game, having four turnovers themselves, but did enough to keep the Lions' in a one-dimensional offensive scheme playing catch up. Despite starting slow giving the Lions an early 7-0, the team scored on its two final drives of the first half to take a 17-7 lead at halftime. They kept the ball for 21 of the game's first 30 minutes. They were aided with good field position on most of their drives as wide receiver Steve Breaston had a great game returning kicks and punts having a long kick return of 52 yards and a punt return of 47 yards. All four Cardinals touchdowns were scored on passing plays (three by Warner, one by Tim Rattay.)
Kurt Warner rebounded with a nice game going 26 for 36 for 259 yards and three touchdowns. He was intercepted once and fumbled once. He hit eight different receivers including touchdowns twice to Larry Fitzgerald and once to tight end Leonard Pope. Although sacked twice, he did enough to move lead Cardinal offense to its second highest point total of the year. He did give way to Tim Ratty at the goal line in the second quarter as he was having trouble with an injury to his left thumb. Warner returned and played well after that throwing TDs in the third and fourth quarter.
Larry Fitzgerald again was the games most targeted Cardinals receiver finishing the contest with two touchdowns on eight catches for 74 yards. He ran crisp routes and was tough to cover. Anquan Boldin caught only three balls for 25 yards, many of them short crossing routes. It is becoming clear that Fitzgerald is the preferred target of Warner.
Edgerrin James rushed for 60 yards on 18 carries and had a long run of only eight yards. He was kept in check by a good Detroit front line.
Leonard Pope had the best game of a Cardinals tight end in years, scoring twice catching a pass from Warner and another from back up quarterback Tim Rattay.
What you ought to know
| QB Jon Kitna, Pass: 32 - 45 - 294 - 2 TD / 2 INT, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 |
Kitna's stats were aided by the team playing catch up for most of the game. He was harassed often by the Cardinal pass rush, with many of his passes thrown short over the middle. His two touchdown tosses were to Roy Williams and were seven yards each, He tossed them into the end zone and allowed Williams to jump high to retrieve them over the defender. Kitna was intercepted twice and fumbled three times losing two of them.
| RB Kevin Jones, Rush: 4 - -4 - 1, Rec: 8 - 36 - 0 (9 targets) |
Jones had a horrible rushing game due to playing catch up. He rushed only four times, but did score in the first quarter on a four yard run. He caught eight balls for 36 yards, when Kitna used him as a safety valve.
| RB Aveion Cason, Rush: 1 - 1 - 0, Rec: 1 - 4 - 0 (1 targets) |
Cason rushed once and caught the only ball thrown his way.
| RB T.J. Duckett, Rush: 1 - 0 - 0 |
Duckett's only carry was on fourth down when he failed to convert a fourth and one turning the ball over to Arizona.
| WR Shaun McDonald, Rush: 1 - -15 - 0, Rec: 6 - 73 - 0 (7 targets) |
Shaun McDonald was targeted often on crossing routes and was the Lions' leading yardage receiver with 73 yards on six catches. He rushed on a reverse once and was stopped for a 15 yard loss, and fumbled when he was tackled resulting in a Lions' turnover.
| WR Roy Williams, Rec: 6 - 45 - 2 (13 targets) |
Williams was the Lions' most targeted receiver with 13 balls thrown his way. He finished the contest with six catches for 45 yards and two touchdowns, both seven yards. His touchdowns were the jump ball variety where Kitna threw the ball high allowing Williams to out leap the defender and make great catches. Williams did have a 47 yard touchdown nullified in the fourth quarter by an illegal formation penalty, but scored on the drive eight plays later.
| WR Mike Furrey, Rec: 5 - 64 - 0 (7 targets) |
Furrey was targeted over the middle in front of the Cardinals linebacker core. His longest catch was 19 yards.
| WR Calvin Johnson, Rec: 3 - 37 - 0 (5 targets) |
Johnson finished the game with three receptions for 37 yards mainly on deep out routes. In the first quarter, he did have a potential touchdown taken away by a good defensive play by the Cardinals secondary. Two plays later, running back Kevin Jones scored on a four yard run.
| TE Casey Fitzsimmons, Rec: 2 - 27 - 0 (2 targets) |
Fitzsimmons was targeted twice over the middle and caught both balls with the longest being 22 yards.
| PK Jason Hanson 0 - 0 FG, 3 - 3 XP, 3 points |
Hanson had no field goals in this game and converted on all three of his extra points.
| DET Rush Defense |
The Lions rush defense did not yield a rushing touchdown in this game and held running back Edgerrin James to only 60 yards on 18 carries. The longest run of the day by a Cardinals runner was eight yards. They allowed only three first downs via the run, and forced three fumbles.
| DET Pass Defense |
The Lions' pass defense allowed four passing touchdowns, (three by Warner and one by Rattay) but did not give up a long play. The longest touchdown pass was 20 yards. They intercepted Warner once, but yielded 259 yards passing and 15 first downs via the pass. Warner was sacked only once.
| QB Kurt Warner, Pass: 26 - 36 - 259 - 3 TD / 1 INT, Rush: 4 - -2 - 0 |
Warner had a good game and finished the contest with 259 yards on 26 for 36 and three touchdowns (two to Fitzgerald and one to Leonard Pope). Warner was sacked once, but fumbled once. His passes were mainly targeted short and he did not stretch the field. His longest pass play was 20 yards and he completed passes to eight different receivers. His touchdown passes were the result of having sufficient time in the pocket to find the receiver.
On a potentially worrisome note, Warner was replaced that goal line by Tim Rattay in the second quarter as he was having trouble with an injury to his left thumb. Warner returned and played well after that throwing TDs in the third and fourth quarter.
| QB Tim Rattay, Pass: 1 - 1 - 2 - 1 TD / 0 INT |
Rattay came in when Warner was injured for a play. He tossed a two yard touchdown to tight end Leonard Pope.
| RB Edgerrin James, Rush: 18 - 60 - 0, Rec: 3 - 18 - 0 (3 targets) |
James ran hard but found the Detroit front seven difficult to penetrate, His longest run was seven yards. He caught all three passes thrown to him out of the backfield and had his usually workmanlike game.
| RB J.J. Arrington, Rush: 3 - 15 - 0, Rec: 2 - 32 - 0 (3 targets) |
Arrington rushed for 15 yards on three runs, but was more productive as a receiver hauling in two balls for 32 yards. Late in the second quarter, he had a 37 yard reception nullified by an illegal blocking penalty.
| RB Marcel Shipp, Rush: 3 - 0 - 0, Rec: 1 - 8 - 0 (2 targets) |
Shipp rushed three times, but had no yardage. His only pass reception went for eight yards.
| RB Terrelle Smith, Rec: 1 - 12 - 0 (2 targets) |
Smith was targeted twice with one reception for 12 yards.
| WR Larry Fitzgerald, Rec: 8 - 74 - 2 (10 targets) |
Fitzgerald was targeted ten times by Warner, many of them middle out routes. He caught a one yard touchdown from Warner on an out route, and then found a seam in the secondary for a 20 yard touchdown late in the fourth quarter.
| WR Bryant Johnson, Rec: 4 - 40 - 0 (4 targets) |
Johnson caught all four balls thrown his way for 40 yards. It was one of the more productive games for Johnson
| WR Anquan Boldin, Rec: 3 - 25 - 0 (9 targets) |
Boldin caught three balls for 25 yards over the middle. He was targeted nine times, but was well covered by the Lion defenders.
| TE Leonard Pope, Rec: 5 - 52 - 2 (5 targets) |
Pope had his best game of the year, and the best game by a Cardinals tight end in years. He caught a touchdown pass from Warner (16 yards) and a two yard touchdown pass from Tim Rattay.
| PK Neil Rackers 1 - 1 FG, 4 - 4 XP, 7 points |
Rackers converted on his only field goal attempt of 23 yards and made all four of his extra points.
| ARI Rush Defense |
The Cardinals rush defense allowed one rushing touchdown early in the first quarter, but then held the Lions' rushing game to negative 18 yards on only eight carries. It was the lowest total by an NFL team since 1946. The forced four fumbles recovering three of them. They allowed only one first down via the run.
| ARI Pass Defense |
The pass defense allowed two touchdown catches to Roy Williams, and yielded much of the yardage Kitna generated late in the second half. They sacked Kitna four times and caused two interceptions. Kitna had little time to throw on a consistent pass rush by the defense.
