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Dec 16, 2009 - 7:59 PM By ANTHONY GIORNALISTA STATS Senior Writer

Dynamic players such as Larry Fitzgerald can help a team overcome turnovers. The Arizona Cardinals might not be sitting atop the NFC West without him.

Coming off a sloppy performance, the Cardinals hope to have their All-Pro receiver in the lineup as they try to move closer to securing a division title Sunday against a lowly Detroit Lions team that may again be without Matthew Stafford.

Fifteen of the 16 teams with the most turnovers in the league are out of playoff position. The only club in that group that is in the playoff picture is Arizona (8-5), which is tied for third with 29 turnovers.

Detroit (2-11), having another terrible season after a winless 2008, is second in that category with 30.

The Cardinals had seven turnovers, including five fumbles, in a 23-9 loss to San Francisco on Monday night, suffering a letdown after beating NFC North-leading Minnesota 30-17 on Dec. 6.

Still, Arizona can clinch the NFC West title with a win and a 49ers loss at Philadelphia on Sunday.

"Last time I did the math, if we win two more it doesn't really matter what else happens, right?" Cardinals coach Ken Whisenhunt said. "If we take care of what's in front of us, then it doesn't make a difference."

Arizona will be in much better shape if Fitzgerald can play. He injured his knee early in the third quarter versus San Francisco but returned to the game with 3:23 to play.

An MRI on Tuesday determined Fitzgerald suffered a bruised bone and a sprained right knee, but showed no more significant damage.

Fitzgerald shares the NFC lead with 85 catches and is tied for second in the league with 10 touchdown receptions. He's nine yards shy of his third straight 1,000-yard season and the fourth of his career.

Cardinals left tackle Mike Gandy, meanwhile, continues to have problems with a pelvic injury. He started against San Francisco but was replaced by Jeremy Bridges in the fourth quarter.

Arizona's offensive line didn't give Kurt Warner much time in the pocket. Warner fumbled twice and was sacked four times after being taken down five times in his previous five contests.

Detroit quarterbacks have been sacked 37 times, and the Lions' inability to protect the passer has left them without their stater for perhaps a second straight game.

Stafford might sit out again after missing the Lions' 48-3 loss to Baltimore last Sunday due to a sore left shoulder. He aggravated the injury a week earlier, getting driven into the ground on a hit as he threw a fourth-down incompletion in a 23-13 loss at Cincinnati.

Daunte Culpepper then got his third start of the season for Detroit, completing 16 of his 34 passes for 135 yards while getting picked off twice. The veteran has one TD in 99 pass attempts.

Whoever starts at quarterback won't have Kevin Smith in the backfield to help. He suffered a season-ending knee injury against the Ravens.

Smith rushed for 747 yards and four TDs and was a big part of Detroit's passing game with 41 catches for 415 yards. Maurice Morris will likely get most of the carries in place of Smith, and the Lions also have signed Cedric Peerman to add depth.

Detroit has lost three straight since a 38-37 win over Cleveland on Nov. 22.

"Particularly when we're healthy, (our performance) probably should be just about the same every week, but it hasn't been for us," coach Jim Schwartz told the Lions' official Web site. "We've had a lot of moves as we've tried to find consistency and tried to reward guys that were performing, whether in practice or in games."

This is the teams' first meeting since Nov. 11, 2007, when Arizona won 31-21 at home. Warner completed 26 of 36 for 259 yards and three touchdowns, two to Fitzgerald.

However, the Cardinals have lost all three of their visits to Detroit since a win in 1998.