The first-place Cardinals came to Detroit to clinch a playoff spot against the last-place Lions. They went home humbled. The Lions dominated Arizona in a 30-12 victory Sunday at Ford Field. It was as thorough as it was unthinkable.
Jared Goff outplayed MVP candidate Kyler Murray. Fifth-string running back Craig Reynolds ran through the NFL's fifth-ranked defense. Detroit’s injury-ravaged defense ravaged Arizona’s offense. The outcome was only ever in doubt because this couldn’t possibly be happening.
The 1-11-1 Lions dismantling the 10-3 Cardinals?
This was watching reindeer fly. This was seeing Santa Claus in the flesh. This was impossible to believe until you saw it for yourself, a Christmas miracle on turf.
"I’ve got to tip my hat to Detroit," said Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury. "I thought they had a tremendous plan. They out coached us, out played us."
It was 3-0 after the first, 17-0 at the half, 24-6 after three and a good old-fashioned romp when it was over. The Lions ran it when they wanted to run it, Reynolds churning up 112 yards on 26 carries. They threw it when they wanted to throw it, Goff going 21-26 with three touchdowns to improve to 8-1 in his career against the Cardinals. And they stopped Murray from doing anything he wanted, to the point that Colt McCoy came on to end Murray's misery.
This happened. All of it. And it's a huge tribute to Dan Campbell and his coaching staff in Week 15 of a really trying season. The Lions have been kicked in the gut over and over this year, and they were punched in the face last week in Denver. But they keep responding. They keep rallying around Campbell and playing their asses off for nothing but pride.
"When you appreciate and respect the guys you’re around and your coaches and what’s being told to you, and just knowing that this is where it is and these are the circumstances, you make the most of the opportunity," said Campbell. "You make the most of it. It goes back to, we have the right guys. We really do, as far as guys that you want character-wise and what they’re made of. We don’t have guys that are worried about themselves, or complaining about this, or it’s somebody else’s fault. We have guys that are like, ‘How can I help?’ They just want results. That always gives you a chance.”
The Lions didn't just batter one of the NFL's best teams on Sunday as double-digit underdogs. They did it without their top two running backs, two of their top defensive backs, their Pro Bowl tight end, their Pro Bowl center and did me mention they lost their top linebacker halfway through the game? Did we mention their defensive line features more castoffs than a thrift shop? Charles Harris sure looks like a keeper. So does Craig Reynolds in the backfield. This was Campbell's blueprint executed to perfection, a defense built on pressure and a run game that sets up the pass.
"That’s what we’re trying to build around here and these guys have bought into it," Campbell said. "I felt like they bought into it all year. It’s just been, what gets us over the edge? What gets us to that point where we start figuring it out and we can keep the momentum in our favor? We did it today. We executed the game plan perfectly. It was a great job by our coaches putting it together and then obviously those players stepping up.
"They don’t care who we’re playing. It’s like, ‘Let’s go.’ They’re ready. They believe. They have (believed). Shoot, man, that’s all you can ask for as a coach. Just guys who want to come back, go to work and they don’t give a crap who we’re playing. So I was proud of them.”
There hasn't been much to love about this season for the Lions. But they proved again on Sunday they play as hard as any team in the NFL. Throw in a good game plan and better execution and you get the shocker of the year. This is a win Detroit can lean on moving forward, a pillar for what Campbell is trying to build. The 'Let's Go Lions!' chants spilled into the streets as the fans left the stadium, rubbing their eyes and wondering if it was real.