Rushing offense: D

Arizona finished with just 45 total yards on the ground and none of it was pretty. The Lions’ defensive front was ferocious and when the Cardinals’ offensive line opened holes, they either closed immediately or David Johnson, who left with a wrist injury, danced around too many times to hit them. The running game will suffer an insurmountable dilemma if Johnson is sidelined for any serious length of time.

Rushing defense: C+

It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t up to the Cardinals’ expectations, either. Detroit rushed for 82 yards. The good news is no Lions player gained more than 30 yards on the ground. Linebackers Haason Reddick and Josh Bynes delivered a few bonerattling hits, but there weren’t enough of those. Karlos Dansby (seven tackles) was steady.

Passing offense: D

Given that Carson Palmer only threw for one touchdown – and it came with the game already well in hand for the Lions – you can’t justify giving this unit a higher grade than this. Palmer threw three picks, including one that was returned for a touchdown, and there were far too many dropped passes. Palmer seemed too jittery, though, and missed a lot of opportunities underneath the coverage. John Wetzel held his own after starting left tackle D.J. Humphries left with a right knee injury, but where was Jaron Brown? He wasn’t even targeted once.

Passing defense: D

The pass rush never got there as Matthew Stafford was sacked only once (Chandler Jones) and had enough time to complete 29 passes for 292 yards and four touchdowns. Justin Bethel, after a brilliant 82-yard interception return for a touchdown early in the game, got burned twice in the fourth-quarter for backbreaking scores by Lions rookie receiver Kenny Golladay. Safety Tyvon Branch stood out with 11 tackles, but Tyrann Mathieu (two solo tackles) was pretty much invisible.

Special teams: C+

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford bounced back from an early interception and threw four touchdown passes, including three in the second half.

Stats

» The Cardinals had only 118 yards of offense in the first half.

» David Johnson gained 23 yards on 11 carries before leaving in the third quarter with a wrist injury.

Injuries