Dave Birkett | Detroit Free Press

Tanya Wildt/Detroit Free Press

Kirthmon F. Dozier, Detroit Free Press

Marvin Jones may have had a disappointing first season with the Lions, but the Arizona Cardinals still gave Jones the No. 1 receiver treatment in last week’s season opener.

Jones, shadowed by top Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson most of the game, caught just two passes for 37 yards and a touchdown.

And while that stat line may not indicate progress from last year’s frustrating final three-quarters of the season, offensive coordinator Jim Bob Cooter said Jones had “a really nice” game for the Lions.

“It’s not going to show up on the stat sheet, but he fought and competed to get open,” Cooter said. “He made a couple really nice plays, and there were some other ones where maybe we were looking the other way that he went and got open. So Marvin’s really doing a nice job.”

Quarterback Matthew Stafford targeted Jones just twice with passes, preferring some of his other matchups in the Cardinals secondary instead.

Jones caught a 6-yard touchdown pass late in the first half, when he shook loose from Peterson on a scramble drill as Stafford bought time with his feet evading the Cardinals’ three-man rush.

His second catch, a 31-yarder late in the third quarter, came against zone coverage.

Jones, whose struggles last season were due in part to his inability to beat press man coverage, is “improving” in that area, Cooter said.

“Marv’s improved in a bunch of things in this training camp and we’re going to see that pay off in this season,” Cooter said. “He is a better player than he was last year, and I’m pretty confident in six weeks he’s going to be even better than now. That’s what we’re all trying to do, and Marv’s going about things the right way.”

Cooter said he’s not sure if the Giants will shadow Jones will top cornerback Janoris Jenkins on Monday night. Jenkins played primarily as the Giants’ left corner against the Lions last year, and did not follow Jones (three catches, 41 yards) throughout the game.

With cornerbacks Eli Apple and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and safety Landon Collins also in their secondary, the Giants have options against a balanced group of Lions pass catchers.

“It’s a pretty strong group,” Lions coach Jim Caldwell said. “There’s no doubt about it between the three corners and the safety, I mean it’s hard to think there’s any team that has any more than they have. They have talented guys.”

Golden Tate, who’s led the Lions in receptions for three straight years and is coming off a 10-catch, 107-yard opener, said the emergence of rookie receiver Kenny Golladay should help open up the offense for him, Jones and others.

Golladay caught two touchdown passes in his debut last week, and looks like one of the Lions’ top deep threats, or at the least someone opponents teams will have to gameplan more for going forward.

“Kenny’s shown he’s a dangerous player, he’s a game-breaker type of guy,” Tate said. “It makes the opposing team put some more time in scouting him and cover him. And to me, you’ve got to pick your poison. Who you going to double cover? Me, Marv, Theo (Riddick), Golladay, Ameer (Abdullah), (Eric) Ebron, (Darren) Fells? Pick your poison. So we’re excited about it.”