The Lions head to Miami on Sunday afternoon trying to keep their run going, and the matchup comes with a familiar betting wrinkle: Detroit is favored on the road, even though it has gone just 1-2 away from home this season. The Dolphins, for their part, haven’t protected home turf either, sitting at 0-3 in Miami.
Detroit arrives with three straight wins after the loss in Carolina, including last week’s 19-15 victory over the Vikings. Miami, meanwhile, was knocked back after a 24-19 loss to the Patriots, a step back after its upset road win over the Jets.
One of the biggest reasons the Lions have stayed on track has been Jahmyr Gibbs, who has taken on a massive workload with David Montgomery gone in the offseason. Gibbs’ 157 carries rank second in the league, his 773 rushing yards also rank second, and he is tied for the second-most rushing touchdowns with eight through seven games.
He’s been just as dangerous as a receiver. Gibbs has hauled in 34 of 44 targets for 285 yards and two touchdowns, and he comes into this one after piling up 153 rushing yards and a score last week.
That kind of production makes him the player to watch in this game, especially with Miami showing some fight lately and Detroit’s recent scores coming in a little tighter than expected. Still, the Lions also have a road blowout in Arizona on the résumé, and that came in their last game away from home.
The expectation here is that Detroit should get back to a more productive offensive output than the 20 points it scored against Green Bay and the 19 it managed against Minnesota in the last two weeks. Miami, on the other hand, is not projected to get much past 20.
The lean is to take Detroit laying a touchdown, but not to push much beyond that.
In Other News...
Lions Defense Suddenly Has A Week 9 Problem Fans Feared
The Lions defense is already dealing with a familiar midseason squeeze, and Dan Campbells latest injury update only added to it ahead of Week 9 against the Dolphins. Rookie linebacker Jimmy Rolder is expected to miss the rest of the season with a hamstring injury that could require surgery, while several other key defenders and depth pieces, including Cade Mays, Brian Branch, DJ Wonnum and D.J. Reed, were set to sit out Wednesdays practice.
Brian Branch and Wonnum are both in concussion protocol, which only deepens the uncertainty around a unit that has been forced to absorb hits in a hurry. Jack Campbell remains hospitalized, though the early signs have been described as positive, and Detroit may have to lean on its linebacker depth while it gets a clearer read on how much more help this defense needs after facing Miami. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Win Came With Injury Questions They Really Didnt Need
The Lions got the kind of Week 8 win they wanted against Minnesota, but the postgame injury report quickly took some of the shine off it. Detroit came out of Sunday with a handful of concerns to sort through, and for a team trying to keep momentum rolling, the timing could hardly be worse.
Jimmy Rolder is the biggest worry, with his injury serious enough that he may need surgery and is expected to cost him the rest of the season. Detroit is also monitoring D.J. Wonnum and Brian Branch after both entered concussion protocol, while Cade Mays and D.J. Reed are working through ankle and hip issues and are not expected back on the practice field early in the week. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Showed Something Important In Win Over Vikings
The Lions Week 8 win over the Vikings did more than push them to 5-2 and keep them unbeaten in the NFC North. It also offered a clearer look at how this offense can adapt when the matchup demands it, with Jared Goff steadying the operation while the run game, tight ends and offensive line all played their part in a more balanced approach.
Detroit leaned into personnel choices and blocking tweaks that helped the offense handle Minnesotas pressure looks, and the snap counts reflected a game plan built around flexibility as much as firepower. The result was the kind of division win that can matter later, not just because of the standings, but because it showed the Lions have more than one way to solve a problem when the game starts to get messy. [Read more 🡒]