Lions vs. Cardinals Final Score: Arizona Wins 14-6, Goes To 9-1
By Phil Watson
The Arizona Cardinals had to turn back to backup quarterback Drew Stanton, but their defense made a statement in a 14-6 win over the Detroit Lions.
Drew Stanton was with the Detroit Lions for their darkest days, a rookie backup quarterback on the first—and only—NFL team to ever go 0-16.
That was 2008. Now in 2014, Stanton is being asked to pilot the best team in the NFL. He did it well enough on Sunday to give the Arizona Cardinals a two-game lead over the rest of the NFC as the Cardinals shut down the Lions 14-6 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.
The Cardinals are now 9-1, while the Lions—who came in with the second-best record in the NFC—fell to 7-3.
Stanton had his first career 300-yard game against Detroit, completing 21-of-32 for 306 yards and two touchdowns, with two interceptions.
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The Cardinals scored two touchdowns in the first nine minutes of the game and then let the defense do the rest.
Arizona went up 7-0 on its first possession, capped by a 42-yard pass from Stanton to Michael Floyd. Floyd later caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Stanton.
The Lions were held to 262 total yards and managed only a pair of field goals. Matt Prater had a 50-yarder in the first quarter and a 28-yarder late in the second quarter.
The teams played to a scoreless second half.
Alex Okafor had two of Arizona’s four sacks, while the Lions’ vaunted defense never got to Stanton.
Matthew Stafford was 18-for-30 for 183 yards and threw an interception. He did become the fastest player in NFL history to get to 20,000 career passing yards, reaching the milestone in the second quarter of his 71st career game.
Dan Marino had held the record, getting to the mark in his 74th career game in 1988 for the Miami Dolphins.
The Cardinals are now 3-1 in games Stanton has started this season. He filled in for an injured Carson Palmer for three games earlier in the year. Palmer tore an ACL last week and will miss the remainder of the season.
It doesn’t get easier next week for the Lions—they visit the New England Patriots next Sunday. Arizona also has a tough matchup, on the road against the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks.
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