Cardinals fall 45-21 to Lions as Arizona struggles on both sides of the ball

GLENDALE, Ariz. (KYMA) - The Detroit Lions scored 45 points in an offensive explosion Sunday afternoon, defeating the Arizona Cardinals 45-21 at State Farm Stadium.

The loss came on a day filled with questions surrounding Arizona’s offense, coaching and a roster move involving wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr.

Shortly before kickoff, the Cardinals traded Harrison, their former fourth overall draft pick, to the Houston Texans along with a seventh-round pick in exchange for second- and sixth-round draft selections.

Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur said he wished Harrison well but believed the move was in the team's best interest.

"I really like Marvin Harrison. He's a good person. I wish him well," LaFleur said. "We did what we thought was in the best interest of the Cardinals."

Cardinals quarterback Jacoby Brissett also acknowledged the personal difficulty of trading a player with whom the organization had built relationships.

"It's a person that we all have a relationship with outside of football," Brissett said. "As much as everybody can say, 'Yo, it's the business, it's the business,' that don't make it easy."

Arizona looked to take advantage of a Detroit secondary that had allowed the most passing yards per game in the league.

After the Lions opened with a three-and-out, the Cardinals capitalized on an early defensive lapse.

Quarterback Jacoby Brissett found tight end Teagan Quitoriano in the end zone for a touchdown, giving Arizona an early scoring opportunity and putting the Cardinals on the board.

Detroit responded as its offense found its rhythm. Quarterback Jared Goff connected with tight end Sam LaPorta on a long touchdown after the Lions caught Arizona's defense out of position, helping Detroit build a 14-7 lead.

The Lions continued to build momentum, ultimately reaching 45 points against a Cardinals team that struggled to slow their offense.

Arizona had a few bright spots, including a spectacular fourth-down touchdown catch by tight end Trey McBride. McBride juggled the ball before securing it while keeping both feet in bounds for the score.

However, the highlight was not enough to spark a comeback, and the Cardinals fell by 24 points.

Following the loss, LaFleur took responsibility for the team's performance and said the coaching staff needs to find answers.

"My focus is me fixing everything, and talking to these players, talking to these coaches, and figuring out how this never ever happens again as long as I'm here," LaFleur said.

Brissett also expressed frustration with the offense's inability to sustain drives, particularly as the Cardinals repeatedly went three-and-out and put their defense back on the field.

"It's frustrating," Brissett said. "You gotta go back and watch the film and find the ways to where those three-and-outs just can't happen."

LaFleur emphasized that the responsibility for a performance like Sunday's starts with the coaching staff.

"Any time there's a blowout like this, it starts with coaching," LaFleur said. "It's not on the players, it starts with us."

The Cardinals will look to regroup this week before heading to Los Angeles for a challenging matchup against the Rams.