The Lions didn’t need fireworks to keep rolling Sunday. They needed defense, a little grit and just enough from Jahmyr Gibbs to survive a messy afternoon, and that’s exactly what they got in a 19-9 win over the Dolphins.
Detroit moved to 6-2 with its fourth straight victory, and while the final score looks comfortable, this one was anything but. The Lions leaned on a defense that kept Miami to 228 total yards and just nine points, helping them stay in the thick of a crowded NFC North race. Next up is a trip to Germany to face the New England Patriots.
The emotional center of the day was the defense’s response to Jack Campbell’s injury. Campbell suffered a neck injury in the fourth quarter of last week’s win over the Minnesota Vikings, and Detroit spent the week getting encouraging updates after he said he has full movement in his lower body and is working toward regaining normal movement in his upper body. On Sunday, several Lions arrived at the stadium wearing Campbell’s No. 46 jersey, and the unit played like it had a point to prove.
That showed up in the box score and in the tone of the game. Detroit forced a turnover when Malik Willis lofted a meatball sub to safety Chuck Clark in the third quarter, and even with cornerback D.J.
Reed and edge rusher D.J. Wonnum inactive, the Lions kept Miami under control.
Over their last four games, they’ve now held opponents to an average of 14.7 points.
The offense, though, made things harder than it needed to be. Detroit made a surprise change on the interior line, with Miles Frazier replacing Christian Mahogany at left guard. CBS later called it a “coaches’ decision,” but the move nearly backfired immediately.
Frazier was bull-rushed right into Jared Goff’s lap in the first quarter, and the result was Goff’s second interception of the year. The problems didn’t stop there.
Frazier finished with a 48.5 pass-blocking grade, and while Pro Football Focus charged him with only one pressure, the interior looked shaky all afternoon. The Lions allowed Goff to be sacked three times, and the decision to sit Mahogany stood out even more because he had posted a 79.6 overall grade and allowed just six pressures and no sacks on 190 pass-blocking snaps entering the game.
Still, Detroit found the one score it needed from Gibbs. His numbers were modest - 20 carries for 74 yards and no catch on his lone target - but he punched in the Lions’ only touchdown on an eight-yard run in the third quarter. That score also put him in rare company, making him the fifth player in NFL history to have 11 or more touchdowns in each of his first four seasons.
Three of the other four players to do it - Eric Dickerson, Marcus Allen and Bob Hayes - are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and the fourth, Ricky Watters, has a compelling case to join them. For Gibbs, it was another step toward an Offensive Player of the Year case that keeps building, even on a day when Detroit’s offense never really got out of first gear.
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Achane made his feelings known publicly after the game, adding another layer to a rough stretch for a team that has struggled to find any rhythm. With Miami sitting at 1-7, every loss seems to deepen the pressure, and the reaction from one of the rosters most important young players underscores how far the season has drifted from expectations. [Read more 🡒]