On paper
4 games in. Samples are still small, so a rank can move a lot in a week. Ranks are out of 32 teams and 1st is always best, on offense and defense alike.
Cardinals
3
pairings with the edge
Lions
3
pairings with the edge
On paper, the Lions hold the edge across the position groups.
Lions big edge
Lions receiving corps (17th) against the Cardinals pass coverage (31st)
Lions big edge
Lions pass protection (3rd) against the Cardinals pass rush (17th)
Cardinals edge
Cardinals receiving corps (27th) against the Lions pass coverage (30th)
Cardinals edge
Cardinals run defense (4th) against the Lions run game (12th)
Position group by position group
Each offense against the other team's defense, one position group at a time. Circle: the offense. Diamond: the defense. Whoever sits further right wins that pairing.
Cardinals offense vs Lions defense
Pass protection vs pass rush
EvenWeakestBestThe Cardinals pass protection ranks 10th. The Lions pass rush ranks 7th.
The numbers and the players
Cardinals pass protection
- Sacks allowed per dropback4.3% (9th)
- Pressure allowed per dropback22% (14th)
- Hjalte Froholdt (OL) 100% of snaps
- Elijah Wilkinson (OL) 100% of snaps
- Paris Johnson (OL) 100% of snaps
- Isaac Seumalo (OL) 99% of snaps
- Isaiah Adams (OL) 81% of snaps
Lions pass rush
- Sacks per dropback7.9% (6th)
- Pressure per dropback27% (11th)
- Quarterback hits per dropback17.9% (8th)
- Aidan Hutchinson (DE) 13 pressures, 3.5 sacks
- Alim McNeill (DL) 8 pressures, 3 sacks
- D.J. Wonnum (DE) 5 pressures, 3 sacks
Run game vs run defense
EvenWeakestBestThe Cardinals run game ranks 16th. The Lions run defense ranks 21st.
The numbers and the players
Cardinals run game
- Points added per run−0.03 (10th)
- Runs that keep the drive on track46% (5th)
- Rushing yards after contact1.7 (14th)
- Runs of 10+ yards5.1% (29th)
- Rushing yards before contact2.1 (24th)
- Runs stopped at or behind the line19% (20th)
- Jeremiyah Love (RB) −0.01 per run on 55
- Tyler Allgeier (RB) −0.17 per run on 32
- Hjalte Froholdt (OL) 100% of snaps
- Elijah Wilkinson (OL) 100% of snaps
- Paris Johnson (OL) 100% of snaps
- Isaac Seumalo (OL) 99% of snaps
- Isaiah Adams (OL) 81% of snaps
Lions run defense
- Points allowed per run+0.00 (26th)
- Runs stopped at or behind the line17% (17th)
- Runs of 10+ yards allowed13.0% (31st)
- Missed tackles3.3% (1st)
- Jack Campbell (LB) 33 tackles, 1 missed
- Derrick Barnes (LB) 22 tackles
Quarterback vs coverage
Cardinals edgeWeakestBestThe Cardinals quarterback play ranks 26th. The Lions pass coverage ranks 31st.
Lions (Week 4 report, latest out): D.J. Reed (CB, questionable, rib)
The numbers and the players
Cardinals quarterback play
- Points added per dropback−0.04 (23rd)
- Completions above expected+2.2 (14th)
- Interceptions per throw2.5% (24th)
- Passes of 20+ yards per dropback2.5% (32nd)
- Jacoby Brissett (QB) −0.05 per dropback on 157
Lions pass coverage
- Points allowed per throw+0.26 (29th)
- Completions allowed above expected+6.3 (28th)
- Interceptions per throw1.1% (24th)
- D.J. Reed (CB) 134.6 passer rating allowed on 21 targets
- Rock Ya-Sin (CB) 97.7 passer rating allowed on 19 targets
Receivers vs coverage
Cardinals edgeWeakestBestThe Cardinals receiving corps ranks 27th. The Lions pass coverage ranks 30th.
Lions (Week 4 report, latest out): D.J. Reed (CB, questionable, rib)
The numbers and the players
Cardinals receiving corps
- Points added per target+0.04 (25th)
- Yards after the catch3.4 (31st)
- Drops per target3.4% (13th)
- Tackles broken per catch2.9% (25th)
- Trey McBride (TE) +0.16 per target on 45
- Michael Wilson (WR) −0.15 per target on 44
- Kendrick Bourne (WR) +0.33 per target on 14
Lions pass coverage
- Passes of 20+ yards allowed10.5% (29th)
- Passer rating allowed106.2 (29th)
- Points allowed per throw+0.26 (29th)
- D.J. Reed (CB) 134.6 passer rating allowed on 21 targets
- Rock Ya-Sin (CB) 97.7 passer rating allowed on 19 targets
Lions offense vs Cardinals defense
Pass protection vs pass rush
Lions big edgeWeakestBestThe Lions pass protection ranks 3rd. The Cardinals pass rush ranks 17th.
Lions (Week 4 report, latest out): Ben Bartch (G, out, foot)
The numbers and the players
Lions pass protection
- Sacks allowed per dropback4.7% (11th)
- Pressure allowed per dropback20% (5th)
- Juice Scruggs (OL) 100% of snaps
- Tate Ratledge (OL) 100% of snaps
- Penei Sewell (T) 100% of snaps
- Blake Miller (T) 100% of snaps
- Christian Mahogany (OL) 71% of snaps
Cardinals pass rush
- Sacks per dropback6.6% (12th)
- Pressure per dropback22% (21st)
- Quarterback hits per dropback13.9% (22nd)
- Josh Sweat (LB) 5 pressures, 1 sacks
- Walter Nolen (DL) 5 pressures, 1 sacks
- Dante Stills (DL) 3 pressures, 1 sacks
Run game vs run defense
Cardinals edgeWeakestBestThe Lions run game ranks 12th. The Cardinals run defense ranks 4th.
Lions (Week 4 report, latest out): Ben Bartch (G, out, foot)
The numbers and the players
Lions run game
- Points added per run−0.05 (13th)
- Runs that keep the drive on track46% (7th)
- Rushing yards after contact1.3 (30th)
- Runs of 10+ yards13.5% (3rd)
- Rushing yards before contact2.9 (6th)
- Runs stopped at or behind the line21% (24th)
- Jahmyr Gibbs (RB) −0.03 per run on 78
- Sione Vaki (RB) +0.06 per run on 9
- Juice Scruggs (OL) 100% of snaps
- Tate Ratledge (OL) 100% of snaps
- Penei Sewell (T) 100% of snaps
- Blake Miller (T) 100% of snaps
- Christian Mahogany (OL) 71% of snaps
Cardinals run defense
- Points allowed per run−0.24 (4th)
- Runs stopped at or behind the line18% (14th)
- Runs of 10+ yards allowed8.6% (13th)
- Missed tackles5.7% (6th)
- Jack Gibbens (LB) 32 tackles, 2 missed
- Mack Wilson (LB) 28 tackles, 3 missed
Quarterback vs coverage
Lions big edgeWeakestBestThe Lions quarterback play ranks 8th. The Cardinals pass coverage ranks 24th.
The numbers and the players
Lions quarterback play
- Points added per dropback+0.22 (5th)
- Completions above expected+1.2 (17th)
- Interceptions per throw0.0% (1st)
- Passes of 20+ yards per dropback7.6% (20th)
- Jared Goff (QB) +0.24 per dropback on 167
Cardinals pass coverage
- Points allowed per throw+0.34 (31st)
- Completions allowed above expected+0.1 (13th)
- Interceptions per throw1.7% (18th)
- Max Melton (CB) 104.3 passer rating allowed on 17 targets
- Budda Baker (S) 109.4 passer rating allowed on 16 targets
Receivers vs coverage
Lions big edgeWeakestBestThe Lions receiving corps ranks 17th. The Cardinals pass coverage ranks 31st.
The numbers and the players
Lions receiving corps
- Points added per target+0.34 (7th)
- Yards after the catch4.1 (24th)
- Drops per target4.5% (19th)
- Tackles broken per catch4.7% (15th)
- Amon-Ra St. Brown (WR) +0.18 per target on 46
- Sam LaPorta (TE) +0.52 per target on 31
- Jahmyr Gibbs (RB) +0.18 per target on 27
Cardinals pass coverage
- Passes of 20+ yards allowed11.5% (32nd)
- Passer rating allowed106.7 (30th)
- Points allowed per throw+0.34 (31st)
- Max Melton (CB) 104.3 passer rating allowed on 17 targets
- Budda Baker (S) 109.4 passer rating allowed on 16 targets
Tale of the tape
Every unit on its own, side by side.
- 26thQuarterbackOffense8th
- 15thOffensive lineOffense7th
- 27thReceiversOffense17th
- 12thRun gameOffense11th
- 17thPass rushDefense8th
- 4thRun defenseDefense21st
- 28thPass coverageDefense31st
Longer bar is better. Each unit is graded on the stats shown in the pairings above, ranked among all 32 teams.
How these grades are calculated
- Each position group is judged on three to five plain stats, listed below. All of them are per play or per throw, never season totals.
- Every stat is ranked across all 32 teams, 1st to 32th, the right way round (fewer drops is better, more pressure is better for a pass rush).
- A rank becomes a score from 0 to 100, with 1st at 100 and last at 0. The group's grade is the average of its stats' scores.
- Teams are ranked by that grade, and that rank is the number on the cards.
For example, the Lions pass coverage is 31st. Its stats rank 29th (points allowed per throw), 28th (completions allowed above expected), 29th (passes of 20+ yards allowed), 24th (interceptions per throw), and 29th (passer rating allowed). Averaged, that is a grade of 14 out of 100, which is 31st among the 32 teams.
This is why a grade can disagree with a total or with another site's rating. A team can rank high in rushing yards because it carries the ball a lot or trails late, and still rank low here because each run adds little. Film grades, like PFF's, come from watching every player on every snap, and these do not. Early in the season a few plays can move a rank a lot.
- Quarterback
- points added per dropback, completions above expected, interceptions per throw, passes of 20+ yards per dropback
- Offensive line
- sacks allowed per dropback, pressure allowed per dropback, rushing yards before contact, runs stopped at or behind the line
- Receivers
- points added per target, yards after the catch, drops per target, tackles broken per catch
- Run game
- points added per run, runs that keep the drive on track, rushing yards after contact, runs of 10+ yards
- Pass rush
- sacks per dropback, pressure per dropback, quarterback hits per dropback
- Run defense
- points allowed per run, runs stopped at or behind the line, runs of 10+ yards allowed, missed tackles
- Pass coverage
- points allowed per throw, completions allowed above expected, passes of 20+ yards allowed, interceptions per throw, passer rating allowed
The coaches
Records are regular-season games since 1999, against the spread as listed by the games file. A new coach has no history here yet.
| Measure | Cardinals | Lions |
|---|---|---|
| Head coach | Jonathan Gannon | Dan Campbell |
| Record as a head coach | 16-39 in 55 games | 50-38-1 in 89 games |
| With this team | 16-39 since 2023 | 50-38-1 since 2021 |
| Against the spread, this season | 2-2 | 0-3-1 |
| Against the spread, career | 28-27 | 54-32-3 |
| Against the spread as an underdog | 24-20 | 24-15-1 |
| Against the spread as a favorite | 4-7 | 30-17-2 |
| Coming off a bye | 1-2 | 2-2-1 |
| Head coach against head coach | 0-1 against Dan Campbell | 1-0 against Jonathan Gannon |
| Team against team since 1999 | 10-8-1 | 8-10-1 |
How each team plays
Not good or bad, just the style. Ranks go from the highest rate down, so a 1st means the most of it in the league.
Pass rate over expected
Cardinals −0.5 pts (12th highest)
Lions +1.5 pts (8th highest) — throws more than the situation calls for
Play-action share of dropbacks
Cardinals 16% (32nd highest) — rarely uses play-action
Lions 30% (5th highest) — leans on play-action
Plays with pre-snap motion
Cardinals 60% (11th highest)
Lions 51% (28th highest) — keeps its formations still
No-huddle plays
Cardinals 9% (8th highest) — hurries to the line
Lions 6% (14th highest)
Plays from the shotgun
Cardinals 55% (22nd highest)
Lions 53% (23rd highest)
Blitz rate
Cardinals 24% (25th highest) — rarely blitzes
Lions 32% (14th highest)
Pass rushers sent
Cardinals 4.2 (29th highest) — rushes with the fewest
Lions 4.5 (7th highest) — sends the most rushers
Runs against a loaded box (8+)
Cardinals 2% (30th highest) — stays light in the box
Lions 15% (6th highest) — stacks the box against the run
Who is missing
The latest injury report for each team, sorted by position group. A starter averaged more than half the team's snaps in the games he played.
Cardinals
Latest report is from Week 4; the Week 5 report is not out yet.
- Dadrion Taylor-Demerson SOut · back · pass coverage
- Josh Sweat LBQuestionable · not injury related - resting player · run defense
Lions
Latest report is from Week 4; the Week 5 report is not out yet.
- Ben Bartch GStarterOut · foot · offensive line
- D.J. Reed CBStarterQuestionable · rib · pass coverage
Data: nflverse play-by-play, CC BY 4.0. Ranks use the 2026 regular season through Week 4. Also FTN charting, Pro Football Reference advanced stats, snap counts and injury reports, all through nflverse. Calculations and charts by Raiders Rundown.