Miami, Fla. — It was a sunny and still afternoon in southern Florida, but for the first 30 minutes of Sunday’s game between the Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins, the visitors looked to be playing in mud.
Detroit's high-octane offense sputtered, repeatedly settling for field goals when able to breach enemy territory. However, the team’s defense, playing its first game in four seasons with leader and captain Jack Campbell, delivered in his absence, in the 19-9 victory at Hard Rock Stadium.
The short-handed unit, which was also missing starting cornerback DJ Reed and defensive end DJ Wonnum, put the squeeze on the Dolphins (1-7) offense, constantly harassing quarterback Malik Willis and once again styming an opposing ground game.
Detroit (6-2) took a 6-3 lead into the half when Miami missed a short field goal at the break, and extended that lead to six early in the third quarter, translating a turnover into another field goal.
The Lions finally broke through for a touchdown and breathing room late in the third quarter, as star running back Jahmyr Gibbs found open field around the right edge for an 8-yard score.
The Dolphins managed to keep things close with two second-half field goals, but a fourth Jake Bates’ make with 4:28 remaining sealed the hard-fought victory for the Lions.
Scoring summary
First quarter
● 8:22 — Detroit won the toss and elected to receive, driving 50 yards on 12 plays. They converted a fourth-down from Miami’s 31, on a pass to Isaac Teslaa, then worked it inside the 10 with a direct snap to Gibbs, who took it 16 yards around the left end after faking a pitch to quarterback Jared Goff, who had lined up as a wideout to that side.
However, the Lions stalled out, with Goff getting sacked on third down, leaving them to settle for a chip shot field goal from Jake Bates. LIONS 3, DOLPHINS 0
● 1:02 — Taking over at Detroit’s 39 after an interception, the Dolphins moved into the red zone before taking a 34-yard Zane Gonzalez field goal to knot things up. LIONS 3, DOLPHINS 3
Second quarter
● 3:30 — Momentum from a trio of quick first downs into Dolphins territory was undone by back-to-back losses for Gibbs, resulting in a 40-yard Bates field goal. LIONS 6, DOLPHINS 3
Third quarter
● 9:14 — Following an interception that was returned into Miami territory, the Lions overcame a holding call to get into the red zone. But the offense sputtered once again with a no-gain run, false start and an incomplete pass, taking a 33-yard Bates field goal instead of finding the end zone. LIONS 9, DOLPHINS 3
● 4:00 — The Dolphins countered with a field goal of their own. After a penalty for a landing zone infraction on the kickoff, Miami only needed to move the ball 26 yards to be in range for a 52-yard boot from Gonzalez. LIONS 9, DOLPHINS 6
● 1:20 — With a mix of creative formations and quality gains, the Lions quickly marched 65 yards in six plays, with Gibbs taking a pitch around the right side for an 8-yard touchdown on a fourth-down snap. LIONS 16, DOLPHINS 6
Fourth quarter
● 9:26 — A 46-yard completion on a fake punt set the Dolphins up deep in Lions territory, but sacks by Alim McNeill and Derrick Moore left Miami to settle for another field goal. LIONS 16, DOLPHINS 9
● 9:26 — Buoyed by a pair of third-down conversions, including one on a defensive pass interference penalty, the Lions were able to expand their advantage back to two scores with a 43-yard Bates field goal. LIONS 19, DOLPHINS 9
Turnovers
● In the first quarter, pressure from Dolphins defensive tackle Zach Sieler forced Goff to step up in the pocket, where Josh Uche hit the quarterback as he threw, causing the pass to float in the air and be intercepted by rookie Chris Johnson.
● On third-and-11 early in the third quarter, Malik Willis looked deep for receiver Caleb Douglas, but Lions safety Chuck Clark undercut the throw for an interception.
Key stats
● Goff completed 17-of-25 for 170 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception. It was the first time he didn’t throw a touchdown pass in 30 games.
● Gibbs paced the backfield with 74 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries. Unusually, he did not record a reception.
● Amon-Ra St. Brown led Detroit’s pass catchers with eight grabs for 86 yards. Only tight end Sam LaPorta had more than two receptions among Detroit’s other targets.
● Malcolm Rodriguez’s eight tackles led the defense, while Moore delivered the first two sacks of his career.
Notable
● Miles Frazier got the start at left guard over Christian Mahogany.
● The Lions faked a punt from their own 30 in the second quarter with Jack Fox hitting gunner Tay Martin for the conversion. It was the punter’s sixth regular season pass attempt of his career and first since 2024.
Injuries
● None reported during the game.
Inactives
The Lions made the following players inactive for Sunday’s contest: Defensive lineman Ahmed Hassanein, center Cade Mays, tight end Jackson Meeks, cornerback DJ Reed, running back Jacob Saylors, defensive tackle Mekhi Wingo and defensive end DJ Wonnum.
Mays, Reed and Wonnum were ruled out ahead of the contest, while Saylors had been questionable with a neck injury. The other three were healthy scratches.
Next game
The Lions travel to Munich, Germany to battle the New England Patriots on Sunday, Nov. 15. The game will broadcast at 9:30 a.m. locally.
Why did Frazier start, it sure seems like Dan Campbell doesn't like Mahagony.
It’s kind of embarrassing to be benched for breaking team rules