Here are the top takeaways and highest-graded players from the Cardinals’ 42-17 win over the Lions.
Arizona Cardinals
– QB Carson Palmer (+3.5) finished with just 14 pass attempts, but earned a positive grade for the fifth week in a row and currently leads all quarterbacks with a +18.7 overall grade. Palmer faced pressure only four times, and was 11-for-12 for 161 yards and three touchdowns (158.3 QB Rating, +4.0 PFF passing grade) when not pressured.
– The Cardinals offense dominated in the run game, averaging 7.5 yards per carry. Five different players earned run blocking grades of +1.0 or better, and 103 of the team’s 187 rushing yards came before contact. LG Mike Iupati (+1.2) led the team with a +2.4 run blocking grade.
– DE Calais Campbell (+2.0) has earned a positive grade in every game this season, and ranks fifth among 3-4 defensive ends with a +13.0 overall grade. Campbell finished with one hit, two hurries and a +1.6 run defense grade.
Top performers:
QB Carson Palmer (+3.5)
FS Tony Jefferson (+3.1)
DE Calais Campbell (+2.0)
TE Darren Fells (+2.0)
LT Jared Veldheer (+2.0)
Detroit Lions
– QB Matt Stafford finished with a -3.3 grade, and has now earned a negative grade in all five games this season. He was pressured 12 times, but actually earned a lower grade when he had a clean pocket: 14-for-21 for 113 yards, one touchdown and one interception for a -2.3 grade when not pressured. Stafford is currently our lowest-graded quarterback with a -16.5 overall grade. He was even benched for Dan Orlovsky in the second half.
– RG Manuel Ramirez (+1.9) has been excellent this season, grading positively in all five games. Ramirez earned a season-best +3.0 pass blocking grade yesterday after allowing just one hurry on 76 pass-blocking snaps. His +6.9 overall grade ranks eleventh among NFL guards.
– It was a quiet debut for LB DeAndre Levy (-0.7). Levy was our third-highest ranked 4-3 OLB in 2014, but missed the first four games of 2015 due to injury. He played 17 snaps yesterday, but failed to register on the stat sheet and left the game after aggravating his injured hip.
Top performers:
LT Riley Reiff (+4.1)
TE Brandon Pettigrew (+2.1)
RG Manuel Ramirez (+1.9)
HB Theo Riddick (+1.9)
CB Darius Slay (+1.1)
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