The Detroit Lions have plenty to fix after their disappointing loss to the Carolina Panthers, but their Week 5 matchup with the Arizona Cardinals could present an opportunity to correct some of those problems.
Detroit enters the game at 2-2 and will be looking to rebound before heading into its bye week. Arizona, meanwhile, is 1-3 and has also struggled defensively, giving the Lions offense a potentially favorable matchup.
But there is one major concern on the other side of the ball.
The Cardinals have a weapon who has already exposed one of Detroit’s biggest defensive weaknesses this season: tight end Trey McBride.
Arizona’s Defense Has Given Up Plenty of Points
The good news for Detroit is that Arizona’s defense hasn’t exactly been dominant.
The Cardinals have surrendered more than 31 points in each of their last three games after holding the Los Angeles Chargers to just 14 points in Week 1.
They have allowed 351.3 yards per game and 117 points through four games, putting them among the league’s weaker defensive units.
That should give Jared Goff and Detroit’s offense an opportunity to bounce back.
Goff has been one of the bright spots for the Lions during their difficult start, and the offense has repeatedly been forced to compensate for the defense’s inability to consistently get stops.
Detroit has already shown it can put up points.
The question is whether the defense can finally give the offense some help.
The Lions Have a Problem With Tight Ends
This is where the matchup becomes much more interesting.
Detroit has repeatedly struggled to contain opposing tight ends this season.
Against the New York Jets, rookie tight end Kenyon Sadiq caught seven passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. Jeremy Ruckert added five catches for 39 yards and another score, while Jelani Woods also broke loose for a 20-yard reception.
Through four games, Detroit has allowed tight ends to average more than nine receptions and over 100 receiving yards per game.
The touchdown numbers are even more concerning.
The Lions gave up two touchdown catches to tight ends in each of their first three games.
Now they have to deal with one of the best tight ends in football.
Trey McBride Could Be the Biggest Test Yet
Arizona’s Trey McBride presents a completely different level of challenge.
The reigning First-Team All-Pro is averaging 60.5 receiving yards per game this season and remains one of quarterback Jacoby Brissett’s most important targets.
McBride has already accounted for two of Brissett’s six touchdown passes and nearly 30 percent of his passing yardage.
That tells you how heavily Arizona relies on him.
The Lions can’t simply assume that limiting the Cardinals’ wide receivers will be enough.
If Detroit allows McBride to consistently find openings underneath, Brissett could have an easy way to keep drives alive and put pressure on a defense that has struggled to get off the field.
The Lions’ Offense Should Have an Opportunity
There is also reason for optimism.
Arizona’s defense has allowed 31 or more points in three consecutive games, which should give Detroit’s offense plenty of opportunities to produce.
The Lions have already demonstrated that they can score at a high level, and Goff has played some of his best football to start this season.
That means Detroit doesn’t necessarily need a perfect defensive performance.
But it needs a competent one.
The Lions cannot continue relying on 30-plus points every week just to have a chance to win.
Eventually, the defense has to make enough stops to allow the offense to operate without having to play from behind all afternoon.
Sunday’s Game Could Come Down to One Matchup
The Lions have several things to clean up before facing Arizona, but McBride may be the most important problem.
If Detroit can limit his production, it could force Brissett to look elsewhere and make the Cardinals’ offense much easier to defend.
If McBride continues the trend of tight ends finding major success against the Lions, Detroit could once again find itself in a shootout.
And after giving up 32 points to Carolina, the Lions desperately need their defense to show that it can be more than the liability it has been through the first month of the season.
The matchup with Arizona gives Detroit a chance to change the narrative before the bye week.
But if McBride is allowed to take over, the Lions could be facing another long afternoon.
