DETROIT -- Patrick Peterson knew that once the Arizona Cardinals defense collected two early turnovers, the takeaways would keep on coming.

"As a defense, we always say that once we get one early, they're going to continue falling out of the sky," the team's shutdown cornerback said Sunday. "That's what they did today. Tipped balls, pursuing guys to the ball, stripping ball-carriers from behind -- they were just falling right in our lap."

The ballhawking Cardinals wound up forcing six turnovers as they cruised past the winless Detroit Lions 42-17 at Ford Field. Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford was benched midway through the third quarter after he was picked three times.

"They were like piranhas today," Arizona coach Bruce Arians said. "There was blood in the water. Once the turnovers started, they're competing for them."

The Cardinals' offense often worked with short fields, and it scored 21 points off the Lions' giveaways. Quarterback Carson Palmer tossed three touchdown passes, and running back David Johnson added two rushing touchdowns.

Running back Chris Johnson gained 103 yards on 11 carries, strong safety Rashad Johnson had two interceptions, and running back Andre Ellington added a 63-yard scoring run for the Cardinals (4-1).

Arizona, which bounced back after a home loss to the Rams, leads the NFC West by two games after losses by St. Louis and the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.

"Good teams don't lose twice," Peterson said. "This is a great match for us, to come out here and see what type of team we have after losing a game at home last week. We're definitely on a tough road trip. We're going to be uncomfortable, but at the end of the day, we have resilient guys that won't let other players slip by the wayside. The leadership and character of this team in unbelievable right now."

Lions coach Jim Caldwell said he didn't have a quarterback controversy despite benching Stafford.

"It's like a pitcher not having a very good day," said Caldwell, who added he also won't make any coaching changes. "The pitcher comes out, but the pitcher obviously is still the starter. He's a starter, so there will be no issues there."

Backup Dan Orlovsky threw for 191 yards with one touchdown pass and one interception for the Lions (0-5). Detroit attempted 70 passes, tying the NFL record for most in a single game. New England's Drew Bledsoe had 70 pass attempts in 1994.

Stafford wasn't happy about being pulled but understood it.

"We just didn't play well, and it starts with me," he said. "I've got to play better. We continued to make mistakes and turn the ball over. You can't do that and try and win games."

Arizona jumped to a 28-7 halftime lead with the aid of four Lions turnovers and a 99-yard drive.

The Lions struck first on Stafford's 6-yard scoring pass to backup running back Theo Riddick.

The Cards then scored 21 unanswered points in the second, beginning with the first play of the quarter. Tight end Daniel Fells beat the one-on-one coverage of linebacker Stephen Tulloch on a 14-yard pass play to tie it.

Former Lions defensive end Cory Redding then intercepted Stafford's attempted dump-off to running back Ameer Abdullah and returned it 30 yards to the Detroit 4. David Johnson scored on the next play.

David Johnson scored his second touchdown on a 2-yard run with 3:11 left in the half. That capped the 99-yard drive and was set up by Chris Johnson's 40-yard run.

Following a fumble by Lions wide receiver Golden Tate, Palmer fired his second touchdown pass, an 18-yarder to wide receiver John Brown, to make it 28-7.

Palmer's 2-yard scoring pass to wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, after Stafford was picked off for the third time, gave Arizona a 35-7 lead in the third.

NOTES: Lions WR Calvin Johnson set the franchise record for most career receptions during the first quarter. He entered the game tied with Herman Moore (1991-2001), who had 670, and he recorded five catches for 67 yards against Arizona. ... Cardinals DE Cory Redding's second-quarter interception was just the second of his 13-year career. His other came with the Baltimore Ravens in 2010. ... DT Haloti Ngata (calf), TE Eric Ebron (knee), G Larry Warford and RB Joique Bell (ankle) were among the Lions' inactive players. Arizona WR J.J. Nelson (shoulder) also was sidelined. ... The Cardinals beat the Lions for the seventh consecutive meeting. Detroit's most recent victory was a 29-21 triumph at Ford Field on Nov. 13, 2005. ... Lions FS Glover Quin played in his 100th career game. .... Arizona led the NFL with a plus-75 point differential entering the game. ... Cards LB Alex Okafor left the game in the fourth quarter with a calf injury.