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On Sunday afternoon, the Detroit Lions will attempt to notch their fourth consecutive win when they square off with the Miami Dolphins.
The Dolphins, which have won just one game this season (1-6), are coming off a 24-19 defeat at the hands of the New England Patriots. Meanwhile, Detroit prevailed against Kyler Murray and the Minnesota Vikings a week ago, 19-15.
Without further ado, here are the predictions from the Detroit Lions On SI staff for the Lions' Week 9 matchup with Miami.
The Detroit Lions have had to navigate some uncharted territory emotionally after the injury to linebacker Jack Campbell. A leader of the defense, Campbell's absence will be tough to account for as he had a huge impact on the operation. While Derrick Barnes is a veteran with plenty of experience, he could need some time to adjust to the new role he's expected to be in.
However, I think Dan Campbell's mettle as a motivator will be tested. He was adamant about the importance of remaining focused amidst the adversity, and I think he'll have the team ready to go. They could start slow, but I expect that the offense will get it together quickly. Even with some injuries on the defensive end, the Lions are able to get enough stops to earn a victory in Sunday's game.
Lions 38, Dolphins 27
Yes, the Lions will be playing without multiple core defenders on Sunday in Miami (i.e. Jack Campbell, D.J. Reed and DJ Wonnum).
And sure, Detroit could be looking ahead to its highly-anticipated Week 10 clash with the New England Patriots in Germany.
However, I don't think any of that will matter in the Lions’ Week 9 contest with the 1-6 Dolphins.
Yes, Miami is likely better than that record indicates. Yet, Detroit, even with the various injuries, is still the superior team, and I believe will show that early and often on Sunday.
Deploying their “next man up” mantra, the Lions pull out a gritty win on the road against the Dolphins.
Lions 31, Dolphins 20
The Detroit Lions are hoping to avoid an emotional letdown for multiple reasons. The team is coming off a tough victory against a division rival in the Minnesota Vikings.
Unfortunately, linebacker and defensive captain Jack Campbell will be out of action for the foreseeable future after being carted off the field last week. Some may think the Dolphins are a trap game, but Dan Campbell's squad should rally and find the resolve needed to come away with the victory this week.
Campbell's injury may also galvanize the roster beyond Week 9, similar to how the 1991 team rallied after Mike Utley suffered a serious injury.
Detroit's offense should be able to move the football up and down the field against a young Dolphins team that is still learning how to close out games and win with a new head coach. Tight end Sam LaPorta could be targeted heavily this week, as the Dolphins' defense has given up plenty of yards to opposing tight ends on a weekly basis.
Lions 24, Dolphins 17
The Lions take on the Miami Dolphins, which were not projected to be that great this year. So far, the Dolphins have met that expectation, ranking among the worst in the league. However, that screams “trap game,” especially with the Munich game next week and the Lions’ minds obviously and rightfully elsewhere with the Jack Campbell injury.
The key to the game here is to force more turnovers with quick pressure and to stuff the run game, as the Lions are missing three expected contributors from their linebackers room alone. On paper, this should be an easy Lions victory.
Personally, I think the Lions take full control during the game and fly home from Miami with an easy victory after 175 total yards from Jahmyr Gibbs and 100 yards and a touchdown from Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Lions 31, Dolphins 16