MIAMI GARDENS ― Malik Willis got another start at home for the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, Nov. 8, and the result looked a lot like the season has for Miami: a missed opportunity that never quite turned into anything bigger.
The Dolphins fell to the Detroit Lions, 19-9, dropping to 1-7 while Detroit moved to 6-2. Willis’ afternoon was defined by a handful of flashes, but the one play that mattered most went the wrong way.
That came in the third quarter, when Willis forced a throw down the field to Caleb Douglas and Lions safety Chuck Clark was waiting on it in double coverage. Miami was still within striking distance at 6-3, and the interception loomed large from there.
There were a few clean moments mixed in. Willis helped Miami escape trouble near its own end zone in the second quarter by rolling right off play-action and finding Greg Dulcich for 11 yards and a first down. He also connected with Caleb Douglas on a quick crosser for another 11-yard gain and a fresh set of downs in the third quarter.
But the missed chances piled up. Early in the first quarter, Willis couldn’t complete a third-down quick out to Dulcich. At the start of the fourth, he had a shot at a quick touchdown to Ollie Gordon II and ended up getting sacked instead.
The deep ball had a near-hit, too. A holding penalty on rookie tight end Will Kacmarek wiped out a 51-yard completion to Kevin Coleman.
Willis also showed some comfort in the two-minute drill before halftime, moving the offense with patience and ease the way he did the previous week. The drive still ended only with a short missed field goal by Zane Gonzalez.
On the ground, there wasn’t much there. Willis was listed on the injury report with a groin injury for a second straight week and didn’t look eager to run for a second straight week. He did scramble for what appeared to be a first down in the third quarter, but Aaron Brewer was flagged for holding to erase it.
By the end, the numbers and the eye test matched up: a below-average completion percentage, a below-average passer rating, and a key interception in a game Miami could not afford to waste.
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