Lions-Cardinals Recap: Who's in Penthouse, Who's in Doghouse?
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Week 3 has come and gone, and to the surprise of many fans and pundits alike, the Lions squeaked out a 26-23 victory against the Arizona Cardinals.
Matthew Stafford and Detroit's defense both played their best games of the 2020 campaign, and it went a long way toward Stafford & Co. securing the win.
But, as with any week, there's always those that deserve a spot in the "Penthouse" and those that deserve a spot in the "Doghouse."
Without further ado, here are the players that I believe belong in the Penthouse and the Doghouse after the Lions' victory in the desert.
Penthouse
LB Jamie Collins
After a disappointing start to his Lions tenure (being ejected in the second quarter in Week 1 against the Chicago Bears), the veteran linebacker has put together two straight solid performances, including his best performance to date this past Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals.
He finished the Week 3 contest with six total tackles, two passes defensed and an interception.
He's been the team's best linebacker through three weeks, and he'll need to keep playing well in order to make a weak position group at linebacker at least look somewhat respectable on a weekly basis.
WR Kenny Golladay
"Kenny G" suited up for the first time in 2020, and to no surprise, looked good.
He hauled in six receptions on seven targets, and amassed 57 reception yards and a touchdown.
It's only the start of what should be a big season for the fourth-year wide receiver.
Doghouse
OL Halapoulivaati Vaitai
He made his Lions debut on Sunday, and easy to say, it didn't go well for the former Philadelphia Eagles backup offensive lineman.
"Big V" not only accounted for two of the four sacks the offensive line permitted against the Cardinals, but he also committed a holding penalty which negated a beautifully thrown deep ball by Matthew Stafford to Marvin Hall in the fourth quarter.
It was by far a forgettable performance from one of Detroit general manager Bob Quinn's prized acquisitions this past offseason.
And there's no doubt he was the weakest link on the Lions' O-line in Week 3.
CB Darryl Roberts
The former N.Y. Jets defensive back got beat up pretty bad in coverage on Sunday.
He got beat on both of Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray's touchdown passes, and also was called for a pass interference penalty while defending future Pro Football Hall of Fame wideout Larry Fitzgerald.
Unfortunately, for Roberts' sake, his performance against the Cardinals proved why he's not a starting-caliber NFL cornerback.
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