NFL Match Preview: Detroit Lions vs Miami Dolphins
Last week, Detroit Lions ended the longest road losing streak in NFL history when they defeated Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 in overtime. It was their first win anywhere outside of the Ford Field in over 3 years. The last time Lions won on the road was in
2007 against the Chicago Bears.
“What's happened two years ago, what happened last year, three years ago, whatever it was, isn't important to this football team right now,” Coach Jim Schwartz said. “Winning is important to this football team right now. Winning on the road is a step that
we needed to take.”
Their road success had been hard to come by and this week they would have another chance to keep the momentum against the Miami Dolphins. The Lions are on a two game winning streak after losing 5 straight games. Three of those games were lost at the Ford
Field.
The Dolphins have been doing no better. They are trying to avoid matching their worst home record this Sunday when they host the Detroit Lions. The Lions have been fighting hard but have been coming up just short of victory. Of the 10 games they have lost
this season, 6 were lost by 5 points or fewer. Two of their four victories have also come with less than 5 points difference between the winning and losing teams.
Their defence has shown improvement in the last few weeks, specifically in week 14 when Lions faced the Green Bay Packers at Ford Field. Aaron Rodgers was knocked out in that game and suffered his second concussion of the season. The defence also forced
3 turnovers in that game to beat the Packers 3 against 7.
While it was the defence that came through for the Lions against the Packers, the offence stepped up last week to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Quarterback Drew Stanton threw a career high of 252 yards and one touchdown. Running back Maurice Morris contributed
109 yards to a rushing total of 181 yards and scored one of Detroit’s two touchdowns. Calvin Johnson was the top receiver for the Lions at the Raymond James Stadium. He caught 10 passes for 152 yards but did not catch a touchdown pass in the game.
Detroit’s struggle on the field is mirrored by Miami’s woes at home. They have won 6 of their 7 games on the road and lost 6 of their 7 home games. On the road, they have beaten teams like Green Bay Packers, Oakland Raiders and even the New York Jets (they
were defeated by the Jets at home). They were even shut-out by the Chicago Bears at the Sun Life Stadium.
The other teams who have a road record as good as the Dolphins have are all set on their way to the playoffs. Dolphins are in the same division as the New England Patriots and the New York Jets. They have no chance of making the playoffs this season. Dolphins
were defeated last week by the 4-10 Buffalo Bills at home. It was their 8th defeat in the last 9 games at the Sun Life Stadium.
“They've been booing the last couple of weeks, so I guess we're used to it,” quarterback Chad Henne said. “It's a sick feeling for us not to have home-field advantage.” Henne has a tumultuous season with the Dolphins. He has thrown almost 3 thousand yards
this season. His 14 touchdowns have cost the Dolphins 16 interceptions. The Dolphins would be in serious trouble if Detroit’s defence can exert the same kind of pressure that they did against the Packers.
The offence might chip in too and create more problems for Miami. Detroit’s offence ranks around the middle of the league and their performance against Tampa Bay could be considered a fluke. Stanton had injured his shoulder against the Buccaneers but he
was still able to finish the game. If he is not ready by the weekend, Shaun Hill would take his place. Shaun Hill hasn’t started for the Lions since he broke his finger in a loss to the New England Patriots in week 12.
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