Cardinals at Lions
► Kickoff: 1 p.m., Sunday, Ford Field
► TV/radio: Fox/97.1
► Records: Lions 1-11-1, Cardinals 10-3
► Line: Arizona by 11.5
Detroit News contributor Steve Kornacki breaks down the Lions’ Week 15 matchup with the Arizona Cardinals.
Key matchup
LIONS OFFENSE VS. CARDINALS LB CHANDLER JONES
Get a load of what Jones did Sept. 12 at Tennessee: career-high five sacks (also tying the franchise’s single-game record) with four tackles for lost yardage, six quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles. The 6-foot-5, 255-pound disruptive force leads the NFL with 106.5 sacks and 31 forced fumbles since his rookie year of 2012. He was named to the NFL’s All-Decade team, 2010-19, and is a three-time Pro Bowl selection.
Jones has 22 solo tackles, 9.5 sacks, 22 quarterback hurries, eight tackles for losses, four forced fumbles, one recovered fumble and three passes defended in 2021.
The Patriots traded Jones after 2015, and he’s been a Cardinals captain for four consecutive seasons.
For the Lions’ struggling offense, Jones and his mates will be a challenge. Just three teams have fewer touchdowns than the Lions (23) and only the Jacksonville Jaguars average less than Detroit’s 6.2 yards per pass attempt.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff said Wednesday that offensive tackle Penei Sewell’s speed and agility enables him to “work his way through the hole or get up to the linebacker at times,” and that would be helpful in blocking Jones and Arizona’s other play-making linebacker, Jordan Hicks.
Cardinals to watch
► Kyler Murray, QB: Murray had a career-high of 444 combined yards, passing for 383 yards and running for 61 in Monday night’s 30-23 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. He has completed 72% of his passes for 2,782 yards with 19 touchdowns and nine interceptions, while running for 267 yards and five scores. He didn’t fare so well against the Lions last year, though, with 270 yards passing for two touchdowns with three interceptions.
► Jordan Hicks, LB: He leads the Cardinals with 102 tackles (68 solos) and also has five sacks, six tackles for losses, four passes broken up, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. Hicks (6-1, 236) was a third-round pick by Philadelphia out of Texas in 2015.
► James Conner, RB: Conner has a nose for the end zone, and is second in the NFL with 14 rushing touchdowns. He has scored in seven consecutive games, tying the franchise record set by 1957 Heisman Trophy winner John David Crow in 1959 and 1960. Conner (6-1, 233) likes taking on defenders and has a highly physical nature, but has 303 receiving yards to go with 661 on the ground. He survived Hodgkin’s lymphoma while at Pitt, where he ranks behind only 1976 Heisman winner Tony Dorsett in career rushing (3,733 yards) and with 52 rushing touchdowns and 56 total scores.
Facts and figures
► Goff is 7-1 against the Cardinals, and finished with a seven-game winning streak against them for the Los Angeles Rams. He threw for between 319 and 424 yards in four of the last five games. Goff’s career passing stats versus Arizona: 197 of 279 (.706) for 2,239 yards, 11 touchdowns and three interceptions with 103.0 rating.
► Arizona is a better road team at a perfect 7-0. It is 3-3 at home.
► The Cards are 9-0 when leading at the half and 10-0 when up after three quarters.
► Detroit and Arizona both have thrown 10 interceptions, but the Lions have eight lost fumbles to three for Cards — who have had Murray fumble 10 times but recovered every one of them.
► Arizona wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins (42 catches for 572 yards and a team-high eight touchdowns) was ruled out Wednesday with a sprained knee.
Steve Kornacki is a freelance writer.