DOWN X DOWN › week 9 › Lions at Dolphins
Updated Nov 3, 9:16 AM ET
2026
2026this season2025final

Week 9 · Sunday 1:00 PM ET · Hard Rock Stadium

MIAvsDET

Dolphins offensevsLions defense

Season numbers through Week 8: 7 games for Dolphins, 7 for Lions. Ranks are out of 32; #1 is the best offense or the stingiest defense.

DET offenseMIA offense
Keys to the game · where this matchup tilts, from the season numbers4 reads
01
Biggest edge

Third downs favor Dolphins

Dolphins convert 44% of third downs (8th). Lions allow 46% (27th).

02
Opportunity

Deep right is open

Lions are worst against deep right throws, allowing +1.32 EPA per attempt. Dolphins send 9% of their throws there. That is a small part of their offense so far.

03
Watch out

Checkdowns go nowhere

Lions give up 23 yards a game to running backs (8th), against a league average of 32. Dolphins' running backs produce 12 (32nd).

04
Wash

Yards per play

Call this one even. Dolphins gain 5.1 yards per play (22nd). Lions give up 5.6 (21st), with the league at 5.4.

Players to watch

DET Lions

16Jared GoffQB · 168/248 · 1964 yds · 15 TD · 1 INTEPA per dropback +0.27 · 6th0Jahmyr GibbsRB · 157 car · 773 yds · 10 TD · 34 recEPA per touch -0.01 · 24th14Amon-Ra St. BrownWR · 53 rec · 571 yds · 5 TD · 76 tgtEPA per target +0.3187Sam LaPortaTE · 31 rec · 367 yds · 3 TD · 44 tgtEPA per target +0.74 · 2nd97Aidan HutchinsonLeft Defensive End · 20 tackles · 5 sacks · 1 PD5 sacks · T-12th in the NFL55Derrick BarnesWeakside Linebacker · 34 tackles · 3 sacks · 1 INT · 2 PD3 sacks

MIA Dolphins

2Malik WillisQB · 108/183 · 1268 yds · 6 TD · 5 INTEPA per dropback -0.07 · 27th0Ollie Gordon IIRB · 91 car · 408 yds · 4 TD · 6 recEPA per touch -0.05 · 29th6Malik WashingtonWR · 31 rec · 329 yds · 1 TD · 45 tgtEPA per target +0.1685Greg DulcichTE · 22 rec · 256 yds · 0 TD · 28 tgtEPA per target +0.47 · 9th44Chop RobinsonLeft Defensive End · 13 tackles · 4 sacks4 sacks · T-23rd in the NFL16Michael TaaffeFree Safety · 38 tackles · 2 INT · 2 PD2 INT · T-11th in the NFL
The series · Lions and Dolphins since 1999, and this season's records7 meetings

The Dolphins lead the series 4–3 since 1999 (they first met in 2000). Oct 30, 2022, at Ford Field: the Dolphins won 31–27. Jared Goff started at quarterback for the Lions and Tua Tagovailoa for the Dolphins; Dan Campbell and Mike McDaniel coached.

Lions at home1–3the Lions' record
In Miami2–1the Lions' record
Most pointsLions 34 · Dolphins 492010 · 2002
Biggest winLions by 11 · Dolphins by 282018 · 2002

The last 5

2022 · Wk 8MIA 31 at DET 27
2018 · Wk 7DET 32 at MIA 21
2014 · Wk 10MIA 16 at DET 20
2010 · Wk 16DET 34 at MIA 27
2006 · Wk 12MIA 27 at DET 10

2026 records

LionsDolphins
Overall5–21–6
Division2–01–1
Conference4–11–4
Other conference1–10–2
Home4–00–3
Away1–21–3
Last 5WLWWWLLLWL
StreakWon 3Lost 1
Points a game29.0 – 25.716.7 – 25.9

Every meeting since 1999, regular season and playoffs, from nflverse's game list, which starts in 1999; the all-time series goes back further. Franchises that moved count as one team (the Raiders, Chargers and Rams). Home and away are from the Lions' side. Records are this regular season.

The lineups · Dolphins offense against the Lions defenseDepth charts
Lions defense · 4-3 DDolphins offense · 3WR 1TE52Paul74Proctor55Brewer71Savaiinaea73Jackson85Dulcich2Willis0Gordon6Washington18Bell7Douglas93Lacy91Williams54McNeill97Hutchinson55Barnes46Campbell44Rodriguez2Rakestraw4Reed21McCreary32Branch36Clark

Dolphins offense · 3WR 1TE

  • QBMalik Willis#2 · 108/183 · 1268 yds · 6 TD · 5 INT
  • RBOllie Gordon II#0 · 91 car · 408 yds · 4 TD · 6 rec
  • WRMalik Washington#6 · 31 rec · 329 yds · 1 TD · 45 tgt
  • WRCaleb Douglas#7 · 13 rec · 226 yds · 2 TD · 19 tgt
  • WRChris Bell#18 · 12 rec · 148 yds · 0 TD · 24 tgt
  • TEGreg Dulcich#85 · 22 rec · 256 yds · 0 TD · 28 tgt
  • LTPatrick Paul#52
  • LGKadyn Proctor#74
  • CAaron Brewer#55
  • RGJonah Savaiinaea#71
  • RTAustin Jackson#73

Lions defense · Base 4-3 D

  • RDETyler Lacy#93 · 6 tackles
  • RDTTyleik Williams#91 · 16 tackles
  • LDTAlim McNeill#54 · 14 tackles · 4.5 sacks · 1 PD
  • LDEAidan Hutchinson#97 · 20 tackles · 5 sacks · 1 PD
  • WLBDerrick Barnes#55 · 34 tackles · 3 sacks · 1 INT · 2 PD
  • MLBJack Campbell#46 · 58 tackles
  • SLBMalcolm Rodriguez#44 · 18 tackles · 0.5 sacks
  • RCBEnnis Rakestraw Jr.#2 · 10 tackles · 2 PD
  • LCBD.J. Reed#4 · 41 tackles · 1 INT · 7 PD
  • NBRoger McCreary#21 · 26 tackles · 1 sack · 7 PD
  • SSBrian Branch#32 · 7 tackles · 1 INT · 1 PD
  • FSChuck Clark#36 · 43 tackles · 1 sack · 1 INT · 2 PD

Starters from each team's current depth chart (nflverse, from ESPN), drawn in the offense's base three-receiver set against the defense's base front. The nickel back, the extra defensive back most teams use against three receivers, is drawn lighter. Left and right are as the offense sees the field. The toggle at the top flips which offense is drawn.

Head to head · MIA offense against DET defense
StatMIA MIA offFavors MIA · Favors DETDET DET def allowsNFL avg
Overall
EPA per play
-0.05#23
+0.11#30+0.00
Success rate
40%#28
45%#2544%
Yards per play
5.1#22
5.6#215.4
Explosive play rate
11%#6
11%#309%
Passing
Pass EPA per dropback
-0.09#25
+0.18#29+0.03
Sack rate
10%#31
8%#77%
Running
Run EPA per carry
-0.12#20
-0.09#13-0.08
Yards per carry
3.9#19
3.9#164.1
Money downs
3rd down conversion
44%#8
46%#2741%
Red zone TD rate
59%#17
74%#2861%
Targets by position
WR yards per game
130#22
177#27147
TE yards per game
40#24
98#3255
TE targets per game
5.1#29
11.4#327.6
RB receiving yards per game
12#32
23#832
Where the ball goes · EPA per throwDeep is 15+ air yds

Dolphins: EPA per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+0.198% of throws
-0.057% of throws
+0.749% of throws
Short
+0.1627% of throws
+0.1113% of throws
-0.0736% of throws

Lions: EPA allowed per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+0.0318 throws
+1.2918 throws
+1.3224 throws
Short
+0.0079 throws
+0.5645 throws
+0.19101 throws

Green gains more than expected, red loses value. Cells with fewer than 5 throws are grayed out.