2020 Season Preview: Week 3 Lions at Cardinals

Read more on the Lions' Week 3 opponent, the Arizona Cardinals, in this SI All Lions season preview.

Week 3 of the Lions’ 2020 season could have a tough act to follow from an entertainment standpoint, given the expected duel between Matthew Stafford and the Packers' Aaron Rodgers in Week 2.

However, Week 3 has the potential to produce just as many, if not more, fireworks in a matchup between two high-flying offenses in the Lions and the Arizona Cardinals. They are set to clash in Arizona for the second year in a row.

The Cardinals are an up-and-coming team, expected by most to take a significant leap from last year’s 5-10-1 mark after an offseason highlighted by the addition of wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins.

Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray, the 2019 No. 1 overall pick, enters year two with a new top target in Hopkins, after an impressive rookie campaign that saw him throw for 20 touchdowns.

Arizona did finish last in the NFC West, but won two of its final three games in 2019 while Murray continued to gather valuable reps.

Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury --known as an offensive maestro since his days at Texas Tech -- will certainly have some new toys to play with in the desert.

As for Detroit, it’ll counter with the return of Stafford, who was on track for his second career 5,000-yard passing season prior to a back ailment that cut his season short.

Just like Murray, Stafford is a former No. 1 overall pick, heading into year No. 12 of what’s been a prolific career -- statistically speaking. 

The Lions went 3-4-1 with him last season, while falling to 0-8 without him. They ultimately finished the 2019 campaign with a disappointing 3-12-1 mark and a last-place finish in the NFC North.

Let’s take a look now at some of the key offseason additions and losses for Arizona and Detroit:

Cardinals (2019: 5-10-1, last in NFC West)

Key Additions:

WR DeAndre Hopkins (via trade)

LB Isaiah Simmons (2020 first-round pick)

LB Devon Kennard (via free agency)

DT Jordan Phillips (via free agency)

Key Losses:

LB Cassius Marsh (via free agency)

WR Damiere Byrd (via free agency)

DL Rodney Gunter (via free agency)

WR Pharoh Cooper (via free agency)

LB Joe Walker (via free agency)

The offseason acquisitions would tell you that this should be an improved Cardinals team. 

Similar to Detroit, Arizona struggled defensively a season ago against both the pass and run.

The additions of Simmons, Phillips and Kennard are proof that the Cardinals are putting an emphasis on their points of weakness from a year ago -- reason to believe the team's turnaround can come sooner rather than later.

With veteran leader Larry Fitzgerald still in the mix, in addition to some of their other young pieces, such as receiver Christian Kirk and running back Kenyan Drake, Arizona should be a challenge for any opposing defense this upcoming season.

Lions (2019: 3-12-1, last in NFC North)

Key Additions:

CB Jeff Okudah (2020 first-round pick)

RB D'Andre Swift (2020 second-round pick)

LB Jamie Collins (via free agency)

S Duron Harmon (via trade)

NT Danny Shelton (via free agency)

CB Desmond Trufant (via free agency)

Key Losses:

NT Damon "Snacks" Harrison

RT Rick Wagner

LB Devon Kennard

RG Graham Glasgow

CB Darius Slay

Question marks still hang over a Detroit defense that allowed the most passing yards in the NFL last season (4,551). 

As we mentioned with Arizona, the Lions opted to promptly address that issue by selecting Jeff Okudah No. 3 overall this past April.

Detroit also added defensive coordinator Cory Undlin, who spent the last five seasons as the defensive backs coach for the Eagles.

In addition to bringing in veterans on defense to hopefully aid the defensive turnaround, general manager Bob Quinn drafted running back D’Andre Swift in the second round.

Stafford has never truly had a stable 1-2 punch behind him at running back. So, barring any injuries, we could see one of the more balanced Lions’ offenses in recent memory.

What Happened Last Year

Well, the game didn’t result in a loss, but it wasn’t exactly a pleasant memory for Lions fans. 

Native Detroiters may classify this one as the quintessential experience of being a Lions fan over the past several decades.

After Detroit held a 17-3 lead at halftime and then a 24-6 advantage in the early stages of the fourth quarter, Detroit faltered late.

The Lions struggled to maintain fourth-quarter leads for most of the season, but none quite like this one to start off the season.

At the time, making his regular season debut, Murray proved his late-game chops by leading the Cards down the field with under three minutes to play to force overtime. 

It was perhaps a moment that gave the Arizona faithful a certifiable reason to believe it had landed its franchise QB.

The game would ultimately end in a 27-27 tie, with both teams starting out 0-0-1.

The Lions will need to turn around their tendency to lose focus late in games, if they are to be a more complete team in 2020. And the same sentiment goes for Arizona.

Their 2020 matchup may very well come down to who can make the big stop in the fourth quarter of a high-scoring affair. 

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