NFL Game Recap - Detroit at Arizona
Sun Dec 9, 2018 4:25 PM EST

JAX
9
TEN
30
F
NYG
40
WAS
16
F
NO
28
TB
14
F
NE
33
MIA
34
F
BAL
24
KC
27
F OT
IND
24
HOU
21
F
ATL
20
GB
34
F
CAR
20
CLE
26
F
NYJ
27
BUF
23
F
DEN
14
SF
20
F
CIN
21
LAC
26
F
PIT
21
OAK
24
F
PHI
23
DAL
29
F OT
DET
17
ARI
3
F
LAR
6
CHI
15
F
MIN
7
SEA
21
F
LAC
29
KC
28
F

Dec 9, 2018, 4:25 PM EST

Final

1

2

3

4

T

Detroit (5-8)

0

3

7

7

17

Arizona (3-10)

0

0

0

3

3

Shay returns interception for TD, Lions beat Arizona 17-3
Sun Dec 9, 2018 9:13 PM

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) It's an NFL cliche, the crafty cornerback fooling the rookie quarterback.

That's exactly what happened in the biggest play of Detroit's 17-3 victory over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday.

Darius Slay, who tied for the lead in the NFL with eight interceptions last season, stepped in front of intended receiver Trent Sherfield, picked off Rosen's pass and returned it 67 yards for the game's first touchdown, putting his team up 10-0 in the third quarter.

"I kind of baited him," Slay said. "I knew it was coming. I knew it before the play even happened. The only thing I was concerned about was if I was going to score with it. I knew it was coming and I made a play on it."

Rosen said Slay "made it seem like he was giving him (Sherfield) space. It made it seem like he was playing really soft because it was third-and-long. But right when our receiver broke at the sticks, he just made a really good play.

"He's a veteran. That's why maybe go away from him next time."

The Lions (5-8), losers of five of their previous six overall, ended an eight-game losing streak in Arizona that dated to 1993. It was a matchup of two first-year coaches who are having their struggles and this one clearly went to Detroit's Matt Patricia over the Cardinals' Steve Wilks.

"It is great to get the win," Patricia said. "It is great to see some of the improvement in some of the things we have been doing in the last month or last three weeks or so."

Arizona (3-10), which fell flat coming off its biggest win of the season a week earlier at Green Bay, avoided being shut out with Zane Gonzalez's 22-yard field goal that cut the lead to 10-3 with 8:14 to play.

Rosen completed four of six passes as Arizona drove to the 5-yard line, but a fade pass to Larry Fitzgerald was incomplete and the Cardinals, who fell to 1-6 at home, settled for the field goal.

Detroit took the subsequent kickoff and went 75 yards in seven plays, with the help of a pass interference penalty against Budda Baker, and Zach Zenner's 1-yard touchdown run with 4:05 to play put the game safely in the Lions' control.

"It was missed tackles and penalties that got them down there," Wilks said. "I thought the defense kept us in the game pretty much to that point."

Matt Prater's 47-yard field goal in the first half accounted for the other Detroit points on a day neither offense could do much.

"It was one of the games you had to kind of wear them out," Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford said. "They got some good players up there. That fourth quarter our guys really started leaning on them, dominating."

Fitzgerald caught five passes, all in the second half and most when the game had been all but decided, to move ahead of Jerry Rice for most receptions by a player for one team at 1,286.

Detroit took the opening kickoff and moved downfield with a strong running game. But after a short pass from Stafford, LeGarrette Blount had the ball knocked loose by Baker, who recovered at the Cardinals 30.

Neither team threatened again until the Lions used up 7 minutes, 55 seconds to drive 65 yards and set up Prater's field goal with 9:35 left in the first half.

Arizona took the kickoff and got a 19-yard pass from Rosen to Sherfield, combined with a facemask penalty against Detroit, moved the ball to the Lions 30. But a pass to David Johnson lost 6 yards and Gonzalez's 54-yard field goal try had plenty of distance but bounced off the left upright.

FINALLY FITZGERALD

Fitzgerald, who entered the game with at least one catch in 223 consecutive games, was targeted once and didn't have a catch in the first half. Finally, with 5:48 left in the third quarter, Fitzgerald's 14-yard reception kept the streak alive and moved him ahead of Rice. Three of his catches came the last time Arizona had the ball.

INJURIES

Detroit was hit hard by injuries. In the span of three plays, the Lions lost defensive ends Ezekiel Ansah (knee) and Da'Shawn Hand (shoulder). Later in the half, right tackle Rick Wagner left with a concussion. The team also lost fullback Nick Bellore (ankle), wide receiver Bruce Ellington (hamstring), cornerback Marcus Cooper (back) and safety Charles Washington (hamstring).

"Injuries happen," Patricia said. "Certainly we had a couple of them today. It is just important for us to always maintain our philosophy of everybody has to be ready to go."

Arizona wide receiver Chad Williams was inactive after aggravating a hamstring injury late last week.

UP NEXT

Lions: at Buffalo next Sunday.

Cardinals: at Atlanta next Sunday.

---

More AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL and https://twitter.com/AP-NFL

Passing

DET Att Cmp % TD-Pa Yds-Pa LgPa Int Rat Sk
M. Stafford 23 15 65.2 0 101 17 0 74.7 1
ARI Att Cmp % TD-Pa Yds-Pa LgPa Int Rat Sk
J. Rosen 41 26 63.4 0 240 19 1 69.2 3

Rushing

DET Att Yds-Ru Avg LgRu TDRu
Z. Zenner 12 54 4.5 14 1
L. Blount 12 33 2.8 14 0
ARI Att Yds-Ru Avg LgRu TDRu
D. Johnson 15 49 3.3 10 0
C. Edmonds 3 14 4.7 8 0

Receiving

DET Rec Yds-Rc Avg LgRc TD-Rc
T. Riddick 4 30 7.5 17 0
L. Toilolo 2 26 13.0 16 0
ARI Rec Yds-Rc Avg LgRc TD-Rc
T. Sherfield 5 77 15.4 19 0
L. Fitzgerald 5 55 11.0 14 0

Team Stats Comparison

DET ARI
Points For 17 3
Total Yards 218 279
Rushing Yards 122 61
Passing Yards 96 218
Passing Completions / Attempts 15/23 26/41
Turnovers 1 1
Interceptions Thrown 0 1
Fumbles - Lost 2/1 2/0
First Downs 16 22
Rushing Touchdowns 1 0
Passing Touchdowns 0 0
Penalties - Yards 7/68 8/83
Time Of Possession 28:16 31:44
Third Down Conversions/Attempts 4/12 6/16
Fourth Down Conversions/Attempts 0/0 0/1
Red Zone Conversions/Attempts 1/1 0/1
Sacks Against 1 3
Punts - Average Yards 7/45 6/50
Punt Returns - Average Yards/Punt Return 3/3 5/5
Kickoff Returns - Average Yards/Kickoff Return 0/0 1/17

Scoring Summary

1st Quarter DET ARI
No scores this quarter
2nd Quarter DET ARI
DET 05:25 FG Matt Prater 47 yd FG 3 0
3rd Quarter DET ARI
DET 11:57 TD Darius Slay 67 yd interception return (Matt Prater kick) 10 0
4th Quarter DET ARI
ARI 06:46 FG Zane Gonzalez 22 yd FG 10 3
DET 10:55 TD Zach Zenner 1 yd run (Matt Prater kick) 17 3

Game Information

Stadium: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Arizona
Attendance: 62,014
Game Time: 2:57
Weather: