Gibbs and Goff power Lions past Cardinals

Jahmyr Gibbs’ two-touchdown day and Detroit’s 24-point second quarter carried the Lions to a 45-21 win over the Arizona Cardinals Sunday, October 11, at State Farm Stadium.

Gibbs turned 25 carries into 151 yards and two touchdowns, first pulling Detroit within 7-6 on a 1-yard run and later capping the Lions’ longest possession with a 3-yard score. The turn came immediately after Arizona’s fumble early in the second quarter: Detroit took over near midfield and moved ahead for good.

Detroit seizes the middle quarters

Arizona opened with a 14-play, 73-yard touchdown drive that lasted 7:54, and Jacoby Brissett’s 2-yard scoring pass gave the Cardinals their 7-0 lead. But Arizona did not score again before halftime, while Detroit used the fumble, a quick stop and a steady response to build a 24-7 cushion.

After the turnover, the Lions needed four plays, 47 yards and 1:21 to make it 14-7, with Jared Goff finding Sam LaPorta for a 38-yard touchdown. That play produced the game’s biggest win-probability swing, pushing Detroit from 67% to 81%, and Goff later hit a receiver for an 8-yard score before Jake Bates made a 46-yard field goal.

Big plays, then the finish

Detroit took the second-half kickoff sequence and stretched the lead to 31-7 when Goff connected on a 39-yard touchdown pass. Brissett answered with a 13-yard touchdown pass, but the Lions restored control on Goff’s 1-yard rushing touchdown and then consumed 7:52 on a 14-play, 80-yard fourth-quarter march that ended with Gibbs’ final score.

Goff completed 19 of 30 passes for 271 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions, while LaPorta supplied five catches for 88 yards and a touchdown. Brissett threw for 292 yards and three touchdowns, but his interception before halftime and Arizona’s lone turnover helped keep the Cardinals from sustaining their opening edge.

The numbers behind the breakaway

Detroit’s 0.41 EPA per play — EPA measures expected points added per play — reflected an offense that was productive through Goff and Gibbs alike. The Lions posted a 51% success rate, meaning positive EPA on 51% of their plays, and their passing game generated 0.63 EPA per play; Arizona finished at minus-0.08 overall and minus-0.19 on runs.

The Lions left State Farm Stadium at 3-2 and will host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, October 25. The Cardinals fell to 1-4 and visit the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, October 18.