Sam LaPorta isn't sweating his slow start.

The second-year tight end has had a couple quiet performances on the stat sheet to begin the year after a hamstring injury kept him out a few weeks in training camp. LaPorta said this week his hamstring feels good, and he's not worried about the limited production early on.

"Only Week 3, so looking forward to a long, healthy season and a lot of wins," LaPorta said.

The Lions have tried to be smart with LaPorta early in the season after he missed so much of training camp, and they'll be looking for him to be a key component in this offense like he was last season when he caught 86 passes for 889 yards and 10 touchdowns.

"It's great that we have a really creative offensive coordinator and the offensive coaching staff in general, so I know they're going to find ways to spread the ball around," LaPorta said. "Some games, targets might find you. Sometimes, they may not. If I can help contribute with a couple of catches, it's great. If not and we still win, that's awesome."

It feels like LaPorta could have been a bigger answer for some of the team's woes in the red zone in the 20-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday. The Lions went 1-for-7 in the red zone against the Bucs. LaPorta had just one target on a pass into the end zone from quarterback Jared Goff on which the Bucs got flagged for roughing the passer. LaPorta only got one red-zone target, an incompletion, against the Rams Week 1.

"Coach Johnson, he said to blame himself," LaPorta said of the offense's red-zone woes last week. "Of course, we're the 11 guys out there on the field so we feel like we're credible for everything that we put out there on the tape as well. I'm sure you can expect some more creative play calls as well as better execution. We had a couple penalties in the red zone last week, we went backwards a couple times, which is unacceptable. It's just going to make it harder for you to score down there."

LaPorta caught four passes for 45 yards in the Lions' Week 1 overtime win over Los Angeles and had two catches for 13 yards in last week's loss to the Bucs.

"We have a bunch of unselfish guys that, they play hard for each other," Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson said Thursday when asked about LaPorta. "Having been a former receiver coach, I am very conscious of those guys wanting to be involved, but, at the same time, as a staff, if we do this thing right, it's exactly – (Amon-Ra) St. Brown has an off game, alright? LaPorta has an off game, maybe. (Jameson Williams) Jamo – we just cycle that around, and so we just don't want a drought for an extended period of time with anybody."

HUTCHINSON SACK STREAK

Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson recorded a career-high 4.5 sacks in Week 2 and has registered 10.5 sacks in his past four regular-season games dating back to Week 17 of last season.

With two sacks at Arizona Sunday, Hutchinson can tie Hall of Famer Michael Strahan (12.5 sacks in 2001) for the most sacks by a player in a five-game span since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic.

The players with the most sacks in a five-game span since 1982 are: Strahan (12.5; 2001), Richard Dent (12; 1984), Aldon Smith (12; 2012) and Derrick Thomas (12,1987-88).

ROAD MENTALITY

The Lions hit the road for the first time this season, looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss at home to the Buccaneers Week 2.

"I think it's the perfect time for us to go on the road," Lions All-Pro wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown said Thursday. "We kind of fell short last week at home. You hate to lose any games at home, you have to protect home turf, but first away game everyone traveling together and being together for most of the day Saturday and then the game is kind of early Sunday.

"To win on the road is always big. First road game for us is going to be a test. It's going to be hot. I'm sure the fans are going to be rockin'. I'm excited."

Detroit didn't lose back-to-back contests at any point last season and is looking to extend that streak Sunday against the Cardinals. Detroit played really well, especially offensively, coming off their five losses last season.

"We kind of prided ourselves on that," St. Brown said. "Have a bad game, come back, bounce back and be better than you were the week before. That's kind of the guys we have in this locker room ... the culture that we've built."