GLENDALE, Ariz. -- A few thoughts on the Arizona Cardinals' 14-6 win against the Detroit Lions at University of Phoenix Stadium.
What it means: After the first quarter, quarterback Drew Stanton looked like he was about to jump in the running for offensive player of the year. But then a combination of reality and Detroit's defense hit the Cardinals, and the offense, yet again, slowed to a crawl. He threw 156 of his 306 yards in the first quarter, then the Cards didn't score for the final 51 minutes, 12 seconds of the game, but it didn't matter. The Cardinals' defense responded and prevented the Lions from moving the ball. Arizona got to Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford early and often, knocked him off his mark and forced him to throw early. The Cardinals sacked him four times and intercepted him once.
Stock watch: Second-year linebacker Alex Okafor added two more sacks to this resume, which gave him five in seven games this season. Since his return from a thigh injury in Week 5, Okafor has given the Cardinals a quick and powerful presence in the pass rush off the edge, which they lost when John Abraham went on injured reserve after Week 1 and Matt Shaughnessy went down after Week 5. Okafor isn't flashy, but he gets to the quarterback, which Arizona struggled to do early in the season. With Okafor coming on, the Cardinals' defensive front has been able to complement their strong secondary.
In no rush: The Cardinals and Lions came into Sunday's game with the third and second best rush defenses, respectively, and neither disappointed. The Lions finished with 98 rushing yards, and the Cardinals 46 yards. But after the first quarter, the defenses cracked down. Detroit ran for just 62 yards in the final three quarters, while the Cardinals managed 24.
Game ball: Patrick Peterson didn't finish Sunday with impressive stats, but he did his job and held Calvin Johnson to 59 yards on five catches.
What's next: The Cardinals travel to play Seattle at 4:05 p.m. ET Sunday at CenturyLink Field.
