Post Game Reaction to Cardinals vs Lions
Patrick Peterson can sling it!
Post Game Reaction to Cardinals vs Lions
In the first half the Cardinals seemed to be holding their own with two good offensive drives. The Cardinals offensive line held their own minus a few penalties. Levi Brown was not even an issue, Eric Winston had a little trouble with his match-up but seemed to manage. The biggest cause for concern in the first half was stopping Reggie Bush and the Lions running game. Patrick Peterson had his hands full with Calvin Johnson and in the first half Calvin seems to be getting the better of Peterson.
The second half was equally as thrilling as the first. At halftime I figured it would be close but had no idea the game would end with Tyrann Mathieu making a huge tackle on fourth down to stop the Lions. The Cardinals had decided to double Calvin Johnson on numerous plays this half to help Patrick Peterson run a few of Bruce Arians “home run plays.” One of which was a play where Peterson takes the ball as a sweep, cuts back to the opposite side to make a beautiful throw for 17 yards and the first down. Jay Feely had a flawless night, making every field goal and extra point he attempted, as well as some deep kickoffs. Ten players ending up recording at least one reception with the surprise player being Kerry Taylor. Taylor stepped up big in the fourth quarter when Larry Fitzgerald was not able to perform due to a nagging hamstring issue. Adding to Tyrann Mathieu’s huge stop, Justin Bethel made a notable play of his own. The special team’s ace blocked a crucial field goal in the fourth quarter, swinging the momentum back in Arizona’s favor.
Over the years Arizona has had Detroit’s number but this game was a nail bitter until the end. The Cardinals still need to improve more on the offensive productivity overall (it can always be better) and the defense still has some tackling issues to iron out, but look for an exciting match up as the Cardinals march into the Big Easy for a Sunday morning showdown against the Saints.
SIDE NOTE: I have to give kudos to Levi Brown for doing a solid job in this game. He avoided a sack being marked under his name when a defensive penalty negated the play. Watching him go back to the sidelines after every drive he would just keep his head down and went to work. The offensive line as a whole stayed very even keel and got down to business allowing only one sack against a tough Lions defensive line.