Aww Hell...here's the whole thing...
Why To Watch
Future Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith plays his first NFL game without the Cowboys' star on his helmet. . . . Former 49ers coach Steve Mariucci makes his debut with the Lions. . . . Can Lions rookie wide receiver Charles Rogers live up to the hype and be the go-to guy for quarterback Joey Harrington? . . . The Cardinals beat the Lions 23-20 in overtime in 2002 and won 45-38 in '01. Even though these aren't the best of times for these two downtrodden teams, at least they put on some pretty entertaining games.
Cardinals Keys For Success
1. Slow down the game. With wide receivers David Boston and MarTay Jenkins departing in the offseason, the Cardinals have no experience outside. The strength of the team is its big offensive line. Signing Smith and fullback James Hodgins helps, and Marcel Shipp provides depth at running back. With the Cardinals unable to stretch defenses, they will face a lot of eight-man fronts. Considering the team's lack of big-play ability, Smith and Shipp must control the ball and keep Detroit's young offensive guns off the field.
2. Use some spread formations. Considering the Cardinals' current situation at wide receiver, it's tough to imagine Detroit not sticking eight men in the box on just about every play. Arizona should counter the Lions' plan by using creative formations. If Detroit fails to respect Arizona's three- or four-receiver sets and continue to stack seven and eight men near the line, quarterback Jeff Blake -- one the league's best downfield passers -- will get an opportunity to throw deep.
3. Blitz and play man-to-man outside. The Cardinals' defense must take some chances and blitz Harrington to force him into making bad decisions. Harrington occasionally forces passes into coverage and makes most of his mistakes under pressure.
Lions Keys For Success
1. Spread the field and run between the tackles. The Cardinals might have the NFL's worst collection of defensive linemen and linebackers. They struggle against the run and are equally inept in coverage and in rushing the passer. The Lions should spread the field to force defenders out of the box and then run the ball inside against six- or seven-man fronts. James Stewart's separated shoulder on Aug. 28 would hamper this plan, but the Cardinals front is so weak that it might not matter. Backups Shawn Bryson, Avon Cobourne and Autry Denson still should be able to take advantage of this plan. If the Lions can force Arizona to commit more defenders to coverage, this becomes a huge advantage for the Lions.
2. Make the Cardinals drive the length of the field. The Lions face a struggling offense and should adopt a conservative defensive plan. It's difficult to picture Arizona even getting into the red zone, let alone the end zone. If the Lions bend (field goals) but don't break (touchdowns), then Arizona can't score enough to win.
3. Return specialist Eddie Drummond must provide a spark. With Desmond Howard gone, Drummond will return kicks and punts for the Lions. Drummond has been terrific on kick returns but inconsistent on punts. He has big-play potential and averaged 26 yards per return last season.
Injury Update
Cardinals
QB Jeff Blake: Concussion (8/28).
Blake left Thursday's final preseason game because of a concussion. Blake suffered the injury on the first play from scrimmage.
DE Kyle Vanden Bosch: Knee surgery (8/27).
The Arizona Republic reports Vanden Bosch has been placed on injured reserve, meaning he will miss the entire season. Dennis Johnson will take over for him.
CB Duane Starks: Knee (8/27).
The Cardinals placed Starks on injured reserve on Tuesday, according to the Arizona Republic. That move ends his season. Renaldo Hill, a seventh-round pick in 2001, will take his spot.
Lions
RB James Stewart: Shoulder (right) (8/28).
Stewart separated his right shoulder in the first quarter of Thursday night's preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. It was not determined how long he will be out.
CB Christopher Cash: Knee (8/25).
Detroit placed Cash on injured reserve on Monday. He will miss the entire season with a knee injury.
LB James Davis: Ribs (8/24).
Davis injured his ribs and had to be carted off the field in the third quarter. Davis was to be examined after the game. "Any time you see a stretcher and a backboard come out, you think maybe it is the neck or spine, but it was his ribs," Mariucci said. "He could not move and he was in a pretty good amount of pain."
CB Dre' Bly: Ankle (sprain) (8/21).
Now the Lions have announced that Bly will miss Saturday's preseason game against the Cleveland Browns because of a sprained ankle.
DT Luther Elliss: Chest muscle tear (7/17).
Elliss, trying to return after two subpar years with elbow injuries, suffered a significant setback when he tore a chest muscle while lifting weights in the offseason. Elliss, who will not require surgery, could miss the entire presesaon schedule.
The Bottom Line
The acquisition of Smith and Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson excited the Cardinals' fans, but the moves won't be enough to offset the loss of wide receiver David Boston and quarterback Jake Plummer.
The Cardinals were bad last year and appear to have gotten worse through free agency and the draft.
Without a legitimate threat at receiver to worry about, the Detroit defense will focus all of its attention on stopping Smith. In addition, the Cardinals will struggle to stop the Lions' running and passing games.
Arizona simply lacks the talent to be competitive with a team that finished 3-13 last season.
Pick: Lions 21, Cardinals 13
Arizona simply lacks the talent to be competitive with a team that finished 3-13 last season.
And I Payed for this SH!@#@!@
