After falling to 0-2 to start the season, the Detroit Lions will head on the road in hopes of breaking their 11-game losing steak (carrying over from last season) in their Week 3 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals.
The Cardinals have been one of the surprise teams this year, averaging 170 yards on the ground (fourth in the league) and holding opponents to under 18 points (second in the league), which have aided in their undefeated season.
With the problems that have plagued the Lions and the successes the Cardinals have found, it is no surprise the experts are heavily favoring the Cardinals in this matchup. At the time of this writing, 96% of experts are confident the Cardinals will hand the Lions their 12th consecutive loss, according to NFL PickWatch.
The Lions have done nothing to inspire any confidence with the experts so far this season. The offense has been inconsistent at best, and the defense is filled with so many questions that no one knows what they are trying to execute. Additionally, with their hall of shame record, four straight double-digit leads blown, it is hard to find any reason to pick the Lions in hopes of pulling off the upset.
One thing the Lions might have going for them is that the Cardinals have been lucky with the offenses they have faced in 2020. They played against an injury-plagued San Francisco 49ers team in Week 1 and an inconsistent Dwyane Haskins and the Washington Football Team in Week 2. This week’s matchup will be the first real test for their defense when facing one of the better quarterbacks in the league in Matthew Stafford.
The Lions road trip to Arizona will not be an easy one, but if they follow the Honolulu Blueprint, they might have a shot in upsetting the Cardinals and salvaging some hope for the rest of the season.
