Disappointing Outcome In Detroit For Cardinals 

DETROIT — There would be no clinching of a playoff spot Sunday.

There would be no moving closer to an NFC West title, or an eighth straight road win, or avoiding a losing streak in 2021.

The Cardinals (10-4) played their worst game of the season at Ford Field in a 30-12 loss, and while coach Kliff Kingsbury has been emphasizing for his team to be playing its best football as the season comes to an end, the showing against the Lions (2-11-1) was anything but.

From a first quarter in which the Cardinals were outgained, 124-5, the Cards never could find their footing.

The decisive swing came late in the first half. Quarterback Kyler Murray finally got the offense moving, and the Cardinals had a first-and-goal at the Detroit 6-yard line. But they could only reach the 3, and Kingsbury eschewed a field goal in order to go on fourth down. A slant to Antoine Wesley fell incomplete.

Trapped back at their own 3, the Lions — with help from two Cardinals roughing-the-passer penalties — went 97 yards to score on a 22-yard touchdown pass from Jared Goff to Josh Reynolds for a 17-0 lead with 19 seconds left.

The Cardinals couldn’t climb out of that hole. There was a brief moment of hope in the third quarter. The Cards got a field goal and then forced a fumble. But on the second play, Murray tried a deep out route to A.J. Green that was picked off by cornerback Amani Oruwariye and returned all the way to the Arizona 6. The next play, the Lions got Goff TD pass and the game was all but decided.

Goff, who has now won all six starts in his career against the Kingsbury Cardinals, threw three touchdowns without an interception.

More to come on azcardinals.com.