Lions Shock Cards

Lions win in a rout? Against the Cardinals?

Fifteen weeks into the season, Dan Campbell’s vision for the Detroit Lions finally came to life.

The Lions played their most complete game of the season Sunday, controlling play with a demoralizing rushing attack and flustering one of the NFL’s best offenses with a relentless pass rush to shock the Arizona Cardinals, 30-12, at Ford Field.

“Today was really the first day we really seen what our brand of football is,” Lions fullback Jason Cabinda said. “Smash-mouth, run the ball (to) open up the pass, defense just balling. So it was awesome to see.”

Practice squad running back Craig Reynolds, playing in place of D’Andre Swift (shoulder) and Jamaal Williams (COVID), ran for 112 yards in his first career start and Jared Goff threw three touchdown passes in arguably his best game of the season as the short-handed Lions won for the second time in three weeks.

The Lions opened Sunday with a tone-setting 15-play, 63-yard drive that chewed 8 minutes, 50 seconds off the clock, and never trailed against a Cardinals team that could have clinched a playoff spot with a win.

Instead, Arizona fell to 10-4 and now risks dropping out of first place in the NFC West.

At 2-11-1, the Lions can no longer stake claim to the NFL’s worst record, something they’ve held at least a share of all season. The Jacksonville Jaguars, who fell to 2-12 with a loss Sunday to the Houston Texans, now control the No. 1 pick in next April’s draft.

“That was fun,” Campbell said. “We knew what we had to do today and we did it, really in all three phases across the board. The minute it felt like something may go the wrong way, we were able to tilt it back into our favor. I was proud of those guys.”

The Lions scored on their first two possessions Sunday, kept Arizona’s high-powered offense off the scoreboard in the first half and showed a resilience that Campbell said had been months in the making.

Leading 10-0 late in the first half, the Lions stopped Arizona on four goal-to-go plays from inside the 7-yard line then drove 97 yards for a touchdown. The Cardinals were flagged for two roughing-the-passer penalties on the drive, and Goff left briefly after getting his left leg rolled up on.

He returned after one play, to loud cheers from the sparse Ford Field crowd, and threw a laser of a 22-yard touchdown to Josh Reynolds four snaps later.

“It was cool to be able to come back in and finish that drive,” Goff said. “I think up to this point I’ve learned you can’t play quarterback in this league if you aren’t going to be able to fight through a little bit of, not injury, but pain I guess. Especially for this team and this city, it’s important to be that guy. Knee hurts a little bit, but I’ll be all right.”

Outgained 238 yards to 84 in the first half, the Cardinals threatened to make it a game early in the third quarter.

Murray led Arizona on a long field-goal drive to start the second half, and Godwin Igwebuike lost his second fumble in his many weeks on the Lions’ ensuing possession.

The Cardinals took over at their own 44-yard line, but Amani Oruwariye made a diving interception on a Murray pass to A.J. Green two plays later and returned the turnover to the Arizona 6.

Goff followed with his third touchdown pass of the game, from 6 yards out to Cabinda.

“That’s what winning teams do.” Goff said. “That’s what good teams do. If you look around the league at teams, you call it points off turnovers, is a good stat to look at. Do you score when your team gets a turnover, and, vice versa, do you stop the team when your offense makes a turnover? We had the best of both worlds there.

“Unfortunately, Godwin had the fumble, but Amani having the interception and bringing it all the way back down there, that’s how you win games. That’s how you shift the momentum, that’s how you make big plays and Amani’s kind of been making them all year. It’s been exciting to see him grow, too.”

Goff, who improved to 8-1 against the Cardinals in his career — and 8-0 since his rookie season — finished 21-for-26 passing for 216 yards. He had his best single-game passer rating (139.7) since Week 2 of last season, when he was with the Los Angeles Rams.

Craig Reynolds, who is in line for a promotion to the 53-man roster should the Lions put Swift on injured reserve, played workhorse in the Lions backfield with 26 carries, and Josh Reynolds (6 catches, 68 yards) and Amon-Ra St. Brown (eight catches, 90 yards) had big days receiving.

Murray was 23-for-41 passing for 257 yards for the Cardinals, who entered the week undefeated on the road and owners of the NFL’s fourth-highest scoring offense; their only touchdown came on a 26-yard Murray pass to Christian Kirk with 4:40 to play.

“It was a fun day,” Lions tackle Taylor Decker said. “It was fun to see everything come together and just kind of dominate in all phases.”