Behind Enemy Lines Week 11: Detroit Lions
Nov 14, 2014, 4:53 PM | Updated: 4:53 pm
The Arizona Cardinals come out of yet another week with a victory, but the loss they suffered may be the bigger story in the desert.
The Cardinals beat the visiting St. Louis Rams 31-14, giving them an 8-1 record and a full one-game lead for the top-spot in the NFL. The win came in spite of the injury to quarterback Carson Palmer, who was lost for the year with a torn ACL.
Backup Drew Stanton will fill in for Palmer for the rest of the season. Stanton is already 2-1 as the starter in 2014, replacing Palmer while he was recovering from a nerve injury earlier in the season.
Stanton will not have an easy task behind center on Sunday, facing the 7-2 Detroit Lions and their top-ranked defense, allowing 283.4 yards per game this season, more than 20 yards better than the second-ranked team.
The Lions are coming off of a 20-16 win over the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, scoring the game-winning touchdown with less than 30 seconds left.
The Lions’ passing attack got a boost on Sunday with the return of wide receiver Calvin Johnson from injury. Receivers Johnson and Golden Tate combined for 222 yards and one touchdown in the win.
Sunday’s matchup between the Cardinals and Lions is one of two between division-leading teams this week, and will go a long way in deciding the final standings in the NFC.
As the two teams prepare for Sunday’s crucial game, we’ll go behind enemy lines and bring all the stories from the Lions:
Friday, November 14
• Five keys in the Lions-Cardinals matchup (MLive.com)
The Lions awful history in Arizona, a game with very little rushing threat, and the high stakes for NFC supremacy, plus other things to keep in mind as the two teams face off.
• Early practice times are helping the Lions late in games (DetroitNews.com)
Lions coach Jim Caldwell has given the locker room more of a winning atmosphere, and he started this with 7 a.m. start times for practices. With the Lions consistently needing comebacks in the fourth quarter, the early practices are helping the team adjust to better play when they get tired during the games.
• Sunday offers a reunion for Lions’ defensive coordinator (Detroit Free Press)
Teryl Austin spent three years as the Cardinals’ secondary coach, even prompting his family’s move back to Phoenix years after he left the team. With the Lions matchup against the Cardinals on Sunday, Austin gets a chance to coach against his old team and see a family that lives across the country.
• Healthier players are fixing the season-long deficiency on offense (ESPN.com)
The Lions have been piecing together their offense all season, filling in for holes created by numerous injuries to skill-position players. With the roster looking surprisingly healthy for Sunday’s game, the team is putting “the offensive wheel back together.”
• Lions need to stop with self-inflicted offensive mistakes (MLive.com)
The numbers are solid and the players are great, but the Lions’ offense continues to struggle with putting up points. To remedy their scoring issues, the team needs to start fixing their own errors consisting of penalties, turnovers and missed field goals.
Thursday, November 13
• Suh is noncommittal about his future in Detroit (MLive.com)
Playing for a first-place team and leading one of the best defenses in football, its understandable that Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh would be enjoying this season. But despite having a good time with Detroit, Suh is giving no signs about any long-term future with the team.
• Suh may be in store for a record-breaking contract (NFL.com)
As two of the top defensive players in football, its easy to compare Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt. But after Watt signed a record-high contract extension this offseason, Suh could be destined for an even greater contract with a bidding war in 2015.
• Off-the-field connections are helping Detroit’s game chemistry (DetroitNews.com)
It’s understandable that the great defense and emergence of another go-to receiver would get credit for Detroit’s 7-2 start. But with star players and team leaders spending more time together outside of football, greater chemistry is bleeding onto the field in Detroit.
• Calvin Johnson ready for another great performance against Arizona (MLive.com)
Lions star wide receiver Calvin Johnson seems to enjoy playing against the Cardinals, specifically cornerback Patrick Peterson. But despite averaging over 100 yards and one touchdown in the last two matchups against Arizona, Johnson isn’t overlooking Peterson and the rest of the Cardinals’ secondary.
• Ten(ish) questions with Travis Swanson (ESPN.com)
Starting his first game this week at right guard, rookie Travis Swanson answers some questions about married life, off-the-field hobbies and his favorite memory of the game.
Wednesday, November 12
• Morning Roar: Matthew Stafford’s comebacks (ESPN.com)
Matthew Stafford has a case for being one of the most clutch quarterbacks in the NFL. Of his 31 career wins, 15 were won by game-winning drives in the fourth quarter, including three straight games for the Lions this season. No other quarterback has done that as many times in their first six seasons.
• Detroit Lions’ rush defense has posted some astonishing numbers (MLive.com)
Detroit ranks in the top three in the NFL for almost all defensive categories, including first in points allowed per game and total yards. They are especially good at rushing defense, giving up only 71.3 rushing yards per game. Head coach Jim Caldwell says this success is thanks to his defensive coaching staff and the group’s high chemistry.
• Showdown: Detroit Lions’ WRs face two of NFL’s best CBs (Detroit Free Press)
Sunday’s matchup between the Lions and the Cardinals will feature one of the top cornerback duos in the league — Arizona’s Patrick Peterson and Antonio Cromartie — going against a top wide receiver tandem — Detroit’s Calvin Johnson and Golden Tate. Tate has been the better player this year, but is not great historically against the Cardinals, while Johnson scored two touchdowns against Arizona last year.
• The game within the game: Preparing for Drew Stanton (DetroitLions.com)
While Arizona Cardinals quarterback Drew Stanton prepares for only the eighth start of his career, the two men who will be defending him — Detroit Lions safeties Glover Quin and James Ihedigbo — are excited about the chance to play against an inexperienced player, and confuse him enough to throw him off his game.
Tuesday, November 11
• Lions’ coach Caldwell living up to his promises (Detroit Free Press)
When introduced as the Lions’ head coach in January, Jim Caldwell made some plans to change the team’s culture from the previous Jim Schwartz era. After a 7-2 start with a much more technically-sound team, the Lions are making Caldwell’s guarantees come true.
• Caldwell still backs kicker Matt Prater (MLive.com)
The Lions’ kicking game has been atrocious in 2014, with the team going through three kickers, falling into previously-suspended Matt Prater for the job. Despite Prater’s 7-of-10 start on field goals in Detroit, good for 31st in the NFL, coach Jim Caldwell still has faith in the 2013 Pro Bowler.
• A glimpse of the numbers behind Detroit’s tough run defense (DetroitLions.com)
The Lions’ entire defense has been noteworthy this season, but the team has been nearly-unstoppable against the run. Ranked second in the league, allowing 71.3 rushing yards per game, here’s some of the numbers for the defense’s great start.
• Caldwell ignoring early playoff talk (ESPN.com)
Leading the NFC North with a 7-2 record and the best defense in football isn’t enough to get Lions’ coach Jim Caldwell to talk about his team’s future in the playoffs. Caldwell is rebuffing all postseason questions, promising that this team won’t get caught looking past the next matchup.
• Rookie Swanson is up to the task for the offensive line (MLive.com)
Travis Swanson was drafted in 2014 as the apparent heir to the starting center position, expected to be groomed for the spot throughout the season. But due to injuries on the line, Swanson was thrown into the lineup as a right guard on Sunday, and is earning praise for his solid performance.
