| The Detroit News
Justin Rogers, Rod Beard, John Niyo and Bob Wojnowski of The Detroit News offer their predictions on the outcome of Sunday’s Lions vs. Cardinals game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., (4:25 p.m., Fox/760 AM).
►Justin Rogers: One of these weeks, the Lions are going to pull off an upset few of us see coming. Why? Because they do it almost every season. But I’m not going to waste time chasing that unicorn. The Cardinals are clicking on both offense and defense, and while momentum in sports might be an exaggerated concept, confidence certainly isn’t. Cardinals 31, Lions 20
►Rod Beard: At 2-0, the Cardinals are one of the big surprises in the league this year. Kyler Murray is posting modest numbers, but his scrambling ability and a better target in DeAndre Hopkins make him more effective. The Cardinals are a very different team than they were in last season’s opener, when they rallied for a tie against the Lions. The Lions haven’t changed significantly since then — especially on defense — which will account for the difference in the score. Cardinals 40, Lions 21
►John Niyo: For all the talk about Kyler Murray and DeAndre Hopkins, it’s Arizona’s defense that has been the biggest surprise thus far. But if Kenny Golladay is in the lineup, Matthew Stafford might finally find some big plays downfield. Then the question is whether the Lions’ defense can limit the big plays and actually force a turnover. After the first two weeks, I’ll believe it when I see it. Cardinals 28, Lions 24
►Bob Wojnowski: Kyler Murray exposed the Lions’ defense a year ago and is better equipped to do it again. Now with DeAndre Hopkins at receiver, the Cardinals might have a top-five offense. So how does the Lions’ bottom-five defense cope? A few blitzes might help. Steadier play from Jeff Okudah after a rough debut would help. And how about some QB pressure from Trey Flowers? If not, Matthew Stafford better plan to roll up 30-plus points. Bad things happen to the Lions in the desert. Cardinals 37, Lions 24
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