Arizona Cardinals pass defense has been one of league's best

The Arizona Cardinals showed why they are among the league's elite passing defenses in a 38-10 win over the Detroit Lions on Sunday. The Cardinals intercepted three passes, and held Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford to just 24 of 50 passing for 246 yards and no touchdowns.

As Jess Root of Cardinals blog Revenge of the Birds pointed out, Arizona made Stafford revert to his rookie form:

Stafford's 37.6 passer rating is the third-lowest of his career and lowest since 11/26/09 vs. Green Bay, when he posted a 30.5 rating as a rookie.

Root also points out that Arizona leads the NFL in passer rating allowed, as opposing quarterbacks have posted just a 68.0 rating overall. The defense is allowing teams to complete just 54.5 percent of their passes, tied for second-best. The Cards also ranked fourth in the league in passing yards allowed, giving up just 199.3 yards per game.

Arizona's Week 16 opponent, Chicago, won't play into the Cardinals' strength. The Bears like to run the ball, and rank 27th in total pass attempts. Quarterback Jay Cutler does have the propensity to throw interceptions in bunches, which does play into Arizona's hands, as it leads the league in picks.