The Detroit Lions beat the Miami Dolphins 19-9 on Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium, leaning on four Jake Bates field goals and a lone touchdown run from Jahmyr Gibbs to improve to 6-2. Miami fell to 1-7 with its offense unable to find the end zone for a second straight week.
Gibbs broke the game open with an 8-yard touchdown run with 1:20 left in the third quarter, capping a stretch in which Detroit scored 13 unanswered points across two quarters. Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis finished 13 of 25 for 128 yards with an interception, and Miami’s lone touchdown-less effort left Zane Gonzalez’s three field goals as the only points the home team could produce.
Key Moments: How The Lions Pulled Away
Both teams traded field goals to open the game, with Bates connecting from 28 yards and Gonzalez answering from 34 to make it 3-3 late in the first quarter. Bates added a 40-yarder in the second quarter to put Detroit ahead 6-3 at the half.
The Lions pulled away in the third quarter. Bates hit a 33-yard field goal to make it 9-3, and after Gonzalez trimmed the lead to 9-6 with a 52-yard field goal, Gibbs capped the ensuing drive with his touchdown run to push the margin to 16-6 entering the fourth quarter.
Gonzalez cut the lead to 16-9 on a 34-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, but Bates sealed it with a 43-yard field goal with 4:28 remaining, setting the final margin at 19-9.
Top Performers
Bates finished a perfect 4 of 4 on field goal attempts, topping out at 43 yards, and accounted for 13 of Detroit’s 19 points. Gibbs led all rushers with 20 carries for 74 yards and the game’s only touchdown.
Lions quarterback Jared Goff went 17 of 25 for 170 yards with an interception, connecting eight times with Amon-Ra St. Brown for 86 yards. Detroit held Miami to 1-of-2 on fourth down conversions and forced a turnover of its own when Chuck Clark intercepted Willis and returned it 34 yards. Derrick Moore led Detroit with two sacks.
For Miami, Caleb Douglas caught six passes for 70 yards and Ollie Gordon II ran for 55 yards on 16 carries. Linebacker Jordyn Brooks paced the Dolphins defense with 12 tackles, and Jacob Rodriguez added a sack.
What It Means
Detroit moved to 6-2 and sits second in the NFC North behind Minnesota, which is 6-1. The Lions outgained Miami 270 yards to 228 but converted just 3 of 12 third downs, relying instead on four trips inside scoring range that produced field goals on three of them and a touchdown on the fourth.
Miami dropped to 1-7 and remains last in the AFC East, with New England ahead at 5-3 and New York at 2-7. The Dolphins have scored 126 points through eight games, the fewest total in the division standings listed.
What’s Next
The Lions host the Packers next. Miami visits an opponent to be determined.
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