Opponent Profile: Can The Lions Stop The Surging Dolphins?
By Chris Morgan
Hopefully the Detroit Lions were able to rest and get ready after their trip to London, and their bye, because they begin the second half of their season with a real challenge. The Lions are hosting a Miami Dolphins team that is coming off a nice run of play. The team has won three games in a row, and while Detroit was kicking back, they were trouncing the San Diego Chargers by a score of 37-0 that could have been worse if they hadn't called off their dogs. The Lions are still gunning for a playoff spot with their 6-2 record, but this is going to be a tricky one.
To think, not that long ago this team was looking iffy and questioning their starting quarterback. They stuck with Ryan Tannehill, which was the right move, and he has responded well, including against the Chargers. While that Chargers score is glaring, it was a San Diego team traveling across country and playing an early game on the road. This can be a rough scenario for team from the west coast, but it was still a big win for the Dolphins, and this is a good team with playoff hopes.
Both of these teams have top notch defenses, and the Dolphins numbers will only improve after they made life miserable for Philip Rivers. This should be a low scoring game, and it should be a long day for both quarterbacks. Then again, Nick Fairley is out this week, and that hurts the Lions. Can they still get pressure on Tannehill, or stop Lamar Miller who is having a nice year, without him? This is an offense that has been more run heavy, and that should play into Detroit's strengths, although their entire defense has been a strength this season.
It is the other side of the ball where Lions fans need to be worried. What will Matthew Stafford do, and which players will be at his disposal? Having Calvin Johnson return would be huge, and perhaps necessary. The Dolphins have a great cornerback in Brent Grimes, and if Megatron can't play, leaving Golden Tate as the only real receiving weapon, Grimes might shut him down. Frankly, they may need all hands on deck, and all hands playing well. With the way Stafford has looked at times, that is concerning. He may have Cameron Wake bothering him in the backfield repeatedly if the Detroit offensive line doesn't step up.
This is a real challenge for both teams. Whichever team wins will enjoy the narrative of having proven themselves against legitimate competition. Detroit having the game at home helps, and the bye helps too, but they still need to execute. If Ndamukong Suh and Ziggy Ansah can still dominate sans Fairley, they should be fine on defense. This is a game that feels like it could come down to a field goal, given these two defenses. Matt Prater was the hero the last time the Lions played. He may get another chance to play that part this week.
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Chris Morgan has been a diehard Detroit Lions fan through the good (Barry Sanders) and the bad (Matt Millen) and that love has led him to take jobs writing about sports, including as a fantasy sports "expert." His work can be found on Examiner.com. .
