The Lions will head to Arizona for Week 3 in an attempt to bounce back from their week two loss to Tampa Bay. Going just 1-7 in the red zone, the Lions offense wasn’t very good. Following an impressive victory over the Rams, Arizona is a dangerous opponent. The Lions want to win this game and get back on track, but to do so, they have to accomplish three crucial tasks.
Establish the Run
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Jared Goff attempted 55 passes last week, the most since his 2021 Lions debut. The Lions have two exceptional running backs and an elite offensive line, so it was disappointing to witness Goff dropback so often. Jared Goff has a 2-8 record in his career when he drops back 49 times or more and has thrown more than 44 times just twice with Detroit, so he’s not a quarterback you want to drop back a lot.
The Lions must establish the run game this week to relieve Goff of pressure. The Lions ran the ball 27 times, but just four times in seven red zone visits. This week, Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery should see a lot of carries, particularly in the red zone. The Lions must establish the run early on if they hope to win this game. Look for Jared Goff to throw less than 40 times and both running backs to take pressure off Goff in the red zone.
Contain Kyler Murray
The Lions must also make sure that Kyler Murray does not get a lot of yardage on the ground. Kyler Murray poses a serious threat to the Lions, who haven’t been very good against running quarterbacks in recent years. It will take a lot for the Lions to stop him from running the ball, as he has gained 116 yards on 10 runs so far this season.
Murray has to be well covered by Alex Anzalone to prevent him from getting more than four or five yards down the field if he breaks out of the pocket. The Lions must use caution, as overcommitting to Murray may result in receivers being wide-open downfield. If the Lions can stop him from running around, they should have no problem stopping the Cardinals’ offense and walking away with a win.
Find Sam LaPorta
Finding their all-pro tight end is the final task for the Lions to win. Sam LaPorta has only 58 yards through two games this season and has only been targeted eight times. LaPorta should relieve some of Goff’s pressure as he served as a safety net for him the previous season. He concluded the previous season with 10 touchdowns and close to 900 yards, and although he may not reach similar heights this season, he should remain one of Goff’s primary targets. On Sunday, LaPorta should play a much larger part and frequently receive targets on third down. Expect Goff to have a much cleaner day and the Lions’ offense to get going if they can locate LaPorta more.
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