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 "As a defense, we always say that once we get one early, they're
going to continue falling out of the sky," the team's shutdown
cornerback said Sunday. "That's what they did today. Tipped balls,
pursuing guys to the ball, stripping ball-carriers from behind --
they were just falling right in our lap."
The ballhawking Cardinals wound up forcing six turnovers as they
cruised past the winless Detroit Lions 42-17 at Ford Field. Lions
quarterback Matthew Stafford was benched midway through the third
quarter after he was picked three times.
"They were like piranhas today," Arizona coach Bruce Arians said.
"There was blood in the water. Once the turnovers started, they're
competing for them."
The Cardinals' offense often worked with short fields, and it scored
21 points off the Lions' giveaways. Quarterback Carson Palmer tossed
three touchdown passes, and running back David Johnson added two
rushing touchdowns.
Running back Chris Johnson gained 103 yards on 11 carries, strong
safety Rashad Johnson had two interceptions, and running back Andre
Ellington added a 63-yard scoring run for the Cardinals (4-1).
Arizona, which bounced back after a home loss to the Rams, leads the
NFC West by two games after losses by St. Louis and the Seattle
Seahawks on Sunday.
"Good teams don't lose twice," Peterson said. "This is a great match
for us, to come out here and see what type of team we have after
losing a game at home last week. We're definitely on a tough road
trip. We're going to be uncomfortable, but at the end of the day, we
have resilient guys that won't let other players slip by the
wayside. The leadership and character of this team in unbelievable
right now."
Lions coach Jim Caldwell said he didn't have a quarterback
controversy despite benching Stafford.
"It's like a pitcher not having a very good day," said Caldwell, who
added he also won't make any coaching changes. "The pitcher comes
out, but the pitcher obviously is still the starter. He's a starter,
so there will be no issues there."
Backup Dan Orlovsky threw for 191 yards with one touchdown pass and
one interception for the Lions (0-5). Detroit attempted 70 passes,
tying the NFL record for most in a single game. New England's Drew
Bledsoe had 70 pass attempts in 1994.
Stafford wasn't happy about being pulled but understood it.
"We just didn't play well, and it starts with me," he said. "I've
got to play better. We continued to make mistakes and turn the ball
over. You can't do that and try and win games."
Arizona jumped to a 28-7 halftime lead with the aid of four Lions
turnovers and a 99-yard drive.
The Lions struck first on Stafford's 6-yard scoring pass to backup
running back Theo Riddick.
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The Cards then scored 21 unanswered points in the second, beginning
with the first play of the quarter. Tight end Daniel Fells beat the
one-on-one coverage of linebacker Stephen Tulloch on a 14-yard pass
play to tie it.
Former Lions defensive end Cory Redding then intercepted Stafford's
attempted dump-off to running back Ameer Abdullah and returned it 30
yards to the Detroit 4. David Johnson scored on the next play.
David Johnson scored his second touchdown on a 2-yard run with 3:11
left in the half. That capped the 99-yard drive and was set up by
Chris Johnson's 40-yard run.
Following a fumble by Lions wide receiver Golden Tate, Palmer fired
his second touchdown pass, an 18-yarder to wide receiver John Brown,
to make it 28-7.
Palmer's 2-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald,
after Stafford was picked off for the third time, gave Arizona a
35-7 lead in the third.
NOTES: Lions WR Calvin Johnson set the franchise record for most
career receptions during the first quarter. He entered the game tied
with Herman Moore (1991-2001), who had 670, and he recorded five
catches for 67 yards against Arizona. ... Cardinals DE Cory
Redding's second-quarter interception was just the second of his
13-year career. His other came with the Baltimore Ravens in 2010.
... DT Haloti Ngata (calf), TE Eric Ebron (knee), G Larry Warford
and RB Joique Bell (ankle) were among the Lions' inactive players.
Arizona WR J.J. Nelson (shoulder) also was sidelined. ... The
Cardinals beat the Lions for the seventh consecutive meeting.
Detroit's most recent victory was a 29-21 triumph at Ford Field on
Nov. 13, 2005. ... Lions FS Glover Quin played in his 100th career
game. .... Arizona led the NFL with a plus-75 point differential
entering the game. ... Cards LB Alex Okafor left the game in the
fourth quarter with a calf injury.
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