After back-to-back stressful divisional victories at home, the Detroit Lions get a bit of a break and head down to Florida to take on the Miami Dolphins. Detroit is on a three-game winning streak, and we’ve seen the defense take a step in the right direction to complement this offense. The Lions are finding their groove, it seems, and taking on a struggling team could be big for them.
Miami is coming off another loss and aiming higher and higher at getting the top pick in the 2027 NFL Draft. The team
hasn’t been strong on either side of the ball; the offense is missing playmakers because of injuries or skill set, and while the defense has talent, it hasn’t had enough impact on the field.
Let’s take a deep look at the Dolphins’ season so far as they head into Week 9.
Miami Dolphins
2026 season thus far (1-6)
Week 1: Lost to Las Vegas Raiders 27-13
Week 2: Lost to San Francisco 49ers 35-13
Week 3: Lost to Kansas City Chiefs 24-10
Week 4: Lost to Minnesota Vikings 15-10
Week 5: Lost to Cincinnati Bengals 31-24
Week 6: BYE
Week 7: Defeated New York Jets 28-25
Week 8: Lost to New England Patriots 24-19
Offensive stats:
The offense has been the roughest part of the Dolphins team this season. Newly signed quarterback Malik Willis was given the keys to the starting job, but the supporting cast isn’t the same as it was in Green Bay. He’s thrown for six touchdowns, five interceptions, and is averaging 181.1 yards per game. His legs have helped a lot, as he’s averaging 6.3 yards per carry, amassing 225 yards, and three touchdowns.
When he isn’t running the ball, second-year running back Ollie Gordon is. Gordon took over for De’Von Achane after Achane tore his ACL in Week 3, ending his season. Gordon is averaging 4.5 yards per carry, with 408 yards and a team-high four rushing touchdowns, sparking an offense that desperately needs help.
Willis has struggled to pass as well; his top wide receiver, Malik Washington, has 31 catches for 329 yards, and tight end Greg Dulcich has 22 catches for 256 yards. Receivers Caleb Douglas and Kevin Coleman have found the end zone most often among the group, combining for four touchdowns (two each) with 21 catches for 308 yards.
Willis’ offensive line has also struggled to give him time to throw. According to PFF, the line has the second-lowest pass-blocking grade (53.6). Willis has been sacked 21 times this season, the seventh-highest in the NFL. Run blocking is better, but not by much, ranking 27th with a 55.9 grade. Miami has had to rely on the ground game to stay alive, as Willis just doesn’t have the time or the weapons in the passing attack to make teams nervous.
Defensive stats:
On defense, there isn’t much to say on the positive side. While they aren’t the worst in the league, they’re near the lower end in a few areas. The Dolphins are tied for the fewest sacks in the NFL with nine, led by EDGE Chop Robinson’s four.
The secondary has been struggling as well, with rookie safety Michael Taaffe leading the team with two interceptions. The Dolphins have allowed the highest completion percentage in the NFL (76.9 percent) and are tied for second-most 40+ yard passing plays with eight, according to Next Gen Stats. Once again, a safety leads the way in pass deflections with three by Dante Trader, as this unit can’t seem to get their hands on the ball often.
While the secondary is struggling to make plays, the run defense hasn’t been up to par for the Dolphins either, ranked 31st by PFF with a grade of 51. They’ve allowed only three rushing plays of over 20 yards, the longest being 27, but could still improve by slowing down opposing offenses on the ground. Miami is ranked 26th in tackling with a grade of 48.2 and has 47 missed tackles this season, the eighth most in the league, per PFF.
Injury notes
Key players ruled out: RB De’Von Achane (IR)
Key players to monitor: G/T Kadyn Proctor (concussion)
When it comes to injuries, the Dolphins’ only major star who’s injured is Achane. Luckily for Miami, they have some good depth at the position. Rookie offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor is in concussion protocol, as he’s the only other key player currently dealing with a notable injury.
Biggest strength: Running Backs
When Achane went down, it looked like this struggling offense was about to take a giant step back. Not so fast, my friend, as Gordon would say. He’s helped give the ground game some life. While Achane never found the end zone this season, Gordon surged ahead of Willis in rushing touchdowns in his three starts. He’s become another solid running back for this team, and when Achane returns in 2027, this duo will be another stellar one-two punch.
Miami doesn’t have weapons in the passing game, and Willis is the only strength there. Willis also likes to run the ball, but he can’t do it all, and having Gordon with him gives this offense a better chance for success. If the running game struggles, this offense will collapse. For now, though, they are what is keeping them in these games offensively.
Biggest weakness: Defense
While the offense has started to figure some things out over the past three weeks, the defense is still struggling. It doesn’t matter if it’s on the ground or through the air; teams are having their way. Is it the worst defense in the NFL? No, but it’s in the bottom tier, and there aren’t many signs it’s heading in the right direction. They have created six turnovers this season, tied for the third-fewest in the NFL according to ESPN.
Their run defense is a step above their passing defense, but against the Lions this week, that secondary will need to play the best game of their lives. Detroit’s offense will be one of the best offenses they’ve faced this year. They put up a fight with the Cincinnati Bengals and the Kansas City Chiefs, so the effort is there, but it will need to be better than those two matchups.
The defense has very few playmakers on their side of the ball too, as Robinson is arguably one of the best players on this team. Former first-round pick defensive tackle Kenneth Grant hasn’t lived up to the hype, and the team can’t afford its top-end players to flail out. The best way this defense can improve is by forcing turnovers and keeping the field short so the offense has a better chance to put up points.
Key matchup: Lions run defense vs. Dolphins run offense
I’m not worried about this Lions offense putting up points against this Dolphins’ lackluster defense. The Lions defense has been inconsistent this season, especially against the run. While the secondary has garnered a lot of attention, rightfully so, the run defense hasn’t been quite up to the standard the team likes to be at. The Dolphins’ passing attack doesn’t scare me, even with the Lions’ secondary being their weakest link.
Detroit lost a few players who can help stop the run against the Vikings—linebacker Jack Campbell is a big help in run defense, and fellow linebacker Jimmy Rolder was put in IR—leaving potential holes at the position. Co-sack leader D.J. Wonnum and safety Brian Branch left the game with concussions after they collided. While Branch helps the secondary, he does a solid job filling run fits to limit what running backs do at the next level.
If Miami can run the ball well against Detroit, this game could be closer than people anticipate. This isn’t just about stopping Gordon; it’s also about containing Willis so he doesn’t damage you with his running ability. The Lions have faced off against quarterbacks who can use their legs, like Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, for the most damage, with 69 rushing yards. Willis will probably be their next toughest challenge with his feet, so the front seven need to contain him and keep him inside the pocket so he can’t escape.
Vegas line for Sunday: Lions favored by 7
