Lions, QB Jared Goff try to bounce back from frustrating loss, continue recent success vs. Cards

Detroit (1-1) at Arizona (1-1)

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, Fox

BetMGM NFL Odds: Lions by 3.

Series record: Lions lead 35-28-6.

Against the spread: Lions 1-1, Cardinals 2-0.

Last meeting: Lions defeated Cardinals 30-12 at Detroit on Dec. 19, 2021.

Last week: Lions lost to Buccaneers 20-16; Cardinals beat Rams 41-10.

Lions offense: overall (2), rush (9), pass (2), scoring (16).

Lions defense: overall (14), rush (4-T), pass (21), scoring (12-T).

Cardinals offense: overall (7), rush (4-T), pass (15), scoring (2).

Cardinals defense: overall (13), rush (9), pass (19), scoring (17-T).

Turnover differential: Lions minus-1, Cardinals even.

TE Sam LaPorta. After a record-breaking rookie season, LaPorta had a career-low 13 yards receiving and two catches to match a career low last week against Tampa Bay. He had the most receptions (86) last season by an NFL rookie.

Rookie WR Marvin Harrison Jr. had his breakout game in last week's blowout win over the Rams. He caught his first two career TDs in the first quarter and finished with 130 yards receiving. The No. 4 overall pick out of Ohio State is a gifted athlete and has flashed good instincts in his short professional career. On his second TD, he improvised on his route, breaking deep downfield for a 60-yard touchdown. As his familiarity with quarterback Kyler Murray grows, the production is expected to continue.

Murray vs. Lions DL Aidan Hutchinson. Murray had one of the best games of his career against the Rams, completing 17 of 21 passes for 266 yards and three touchdowns while also running for 59 yards. He danced all around the Los Angeles defense, evading tackles at will. Now he'll have to evade Hutchinson, who already has 5 1/2 sacks this season, including 4 1/2 against the Bucs last weekend.

CB Ennis Rakestraw (hamstring) and S Ifeatu Melifonwu (ankle) were ruled out for Sunday's game. LB Alex Anzalone (concussion), CB Terrion Arnold (illness), G Graham Glasgow (knee) and WR Isaiah Williams (abdomen) are all questionable. ... Cardinals DT Darius Robinson (calf) has to miss at least two more games before he's eligible to come off injured reserve. RT Jonah Williams (knee) is also on IR and out at least three more games. RT Kelvin Beachum (hamstring), WR Greg Dortch (hamstring) and DL Dante Stills (shoulder) are all questionable.

The Lions have dominated the series recently with a 4-0-1 record since 2017. The 27-27 tie came in 2019, which was also the very first game that Murray played after being the No. 1 overall pick. The Cardinals won seven straight in the series from 2006 to 2015. This is the 70th meeting in a series that goes all the way back to 1930.

Detroit has not lost consecutive games since losing five straight to start the 2022 season with a 1-6 record. ... The Lions were 1 of 7 in the red zone against the Bucs. ... QB Jared Goff threw for 307 yards on 55 attempts, had two INTs and was fortunate defenders dropped two other passes that could have been picked off last week. ... WR Jameson Williams is one of six players in league history with at least 200 yards receiving and 25 yards rushing after two games in a season, joining a list that includes Jerry Rice and Larry Fitzgerald. ... RB David Montgomery has a rushing TD in five consecutive games. ... DE Aidan Hutchinson has an NFL-high 5 1/2 sacks, a total that more than half of the teams in the league did not reach through two games. ... James Conner ran for 122 yards against the Rams. It's the third time in four games the RB has rushed for more than 100 yards, going back to last season ... The Cardinals have converted on 14 of 24 third down attempts (58%) this season, which leads the NFL. They were 7 of 11 against the Rams. ... Arizona's defense leads the NFL with 17 tackles for a loss. ... Edge rusher Dennis Gardeck set career highs with six tackles, six solo tackles, three sacks and four tackles for a loss against the Rams. ... K Matt Prater has made 81 field goals from at least 50 yards in his career, which is easily the most in league history. The 40-year-old made a 57-yarder against the Rams last week.

The Cardinals defense has been surprisingly decent over the past few weeks after ranking near the bottom of many team categories last season. It's also very likely sitting out there on the waiver wire. Though tempting, it's probably best to hold off for a few weeks to see if this bunch is for real.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Detroit Lions defensive end Aidan Hutchinson (97) goes up against Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Justin Skule during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff directs during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. makes a touchdown catch against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray (1) works in the pocket against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A jury in Texas began to deliberate Friday whether the so-called “Trump Train” that surrounded a Biden-Harris campaign bus days before the 2020 election in a heated highway encounter amounted to political intimidation.

"This case is not about politics,” Robert Meyer, an attorney representing those aboard the bus, told the jury. “It’s about safety.”

The civil trial has spanned two weeks in a federal courthouse in Austin has included testimony from former Texas Democratic lawmaker Wendy Davis, who ran for governor in 2014, and is one of three people who was on board the bus and brought the lawsuit against six supporters of former President Donald Trump.

No criminal charges have been filed against the Trump supporters, who have argued that their actions during the convoy on Oct. 30, 2020, were protected speech.

Video that Davis recorded from the bus shows pickup trucks with large Trump flags slowing down to box in the bus as it tried to move away from the group of Trump supporters. One of the defendants hit a campaign volunteer’s car while the trucks occupied all lanes of traffic, forcing the bus and everyone around it to a 15 mph crawl.

During closing arguments Friday, Meyer argued that the defendants’ conversations leading up to the convoy about “Operation Block the Bus,” dissemination of flyers and aggressive driving met the criteria for political intimidation. Jurors also listened to several 911 calls from bystanders who were fearful that the convoy would cause a collision.

“This wasn’t some kind of peaceful protest,” Meyer said. “The bus swarmed on all sides.”

Attorneys for the defendants argued they did not intend to hurt anyone or scheme a plan for Democrats to cancel their remaining campaign events in Texas.

“There was no civil assault because there was no intent to hurt anybody,” attorney Francisco Canseco said. Canseco represents Eliazar Cisneros who is accused of hitting a volunteer's car that was following the bus.

The jury will have to decide whether the defendants made an informal agreement to intimidate, harass or injure the Democrats on the bus in an effort to suppress their political support of President Joe Biden.

On Friday, comments outside the courtroom got heated between gallery members and one woman was escorted out.

Those on the bus — including Davis, a campaign staffer and the driver — repeatedly called 911 asking for help and a police escort through San Marcos, but when no law enforcement arrived, the campaign canceled the event and pushed forward to Austin.

The trial began with plaintiffs' attorneys saying that organizers targeted the bus in a calculated attack to intimidate the Democrats, arguing that it violated the “Ku Klux Klan Act,” an 1871 federal law that bans political violence and intimidation.

The City of San Marcos settled a separate lawsuit filed by the same three Democrats against the police, agreeing to pay $175,000 and mandate political violence training for law enforcement.

Lathan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

Closing arguments begin in civil trial over 'Trump Train' encounter with Biden-Harris bus in Texas

FILE - Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden and Democratic vice presidential candidate Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., ride on a bus in Phoenix, Oct. 8, 2020, on a small business bus tour. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster, File)

Closing arguments begin in civil trial over 'Trump Train' encounter with Biden-Harris bus in Texas