The 5 - 3 Miami Dolphins traveled to the Motor City's 6 - 2 Lions for a head to head match up between two teams on three game winning streaks with two of the leagues three best defenses overall.
Miami with the leagues #3 defense, and #9 offense (at the very least) faced an equally compensated, talented and in desire of a win Detroit Lions team with the leagues #1 defense and #20 offense.
The Lions made plays all day from both sides of the ball while the Dolphins flashed on only a few instances, and gave up the go ahead touchdown with 29 fourth quarter seconds remaining. The NFC's Detroit Lions prevailed over Miami's Dolphins by a score of 20 - 16.
Calvin Johnson (the leagues best receiver) returned from injury for Detroit as his old self, and dominated with 7 receptions for 113 yards including a 49 yard touchdown while one of the leagues stats leaders among receivers Golden Tate of the Lions also cleared the century mark with 11 receptions for 109 yards.
Detroit threw the book at Miami, and held possession of the opening kick for 8:41 on 15 plays for 72 yards. Following a 3rd down Cam Wake sack of Matthew Stafford with a 4th & 6 at their own forty five yard line, the Lions executed a pass and catch from punter to full back for 22 yards on a fake punt. Miami's defense held at their own eight, and forced a Detroit field goal for a Lions lead of 3 - 0.
Ndamukong Suh of the Lions (the leagues noted most nastiest player) swung a kitchen sink at Miami's offensive line with a tackle for loss of two yards on the Dolphins opening rush attempt, and a 2nd down sack of Ryan Tannehill for a loss of ten on Miami's initial three play for negative seven yard touch of the ball. On 4th & 17 the Dolphins punted to their own 49 yard line where the Lions took possession. On first down, an absolutely perfect Matt Stafford 49 yard pass to an elegantly run route and catch by Calvin Johnson (despite great Brent Grimes coverage) resulted in a Lions 10 - 0 advantage.
The Lions Iggy Ansah dominated the following Dolphins possession of the ball with a first down tackle for loss of seven yards on a Jarvis Landry end-around, and a third down sack of minus eleven yards on Tannehill. Detroit's #1 defense came to play, and again forced Miami to go three & out for minus 13 yards. Miami punted from their own end zone, and the home team again took possession on Miami's side of the field at the 47 yard line. The Dolphin defense forced a Lions minus one yard three & out on consecutive incompletions with 32 first quarter seconds remaining.
Miami and Detroit exchanged short termed scoreless possessions, and the Dolphins took the ball at their own 38 yard line. Tannehill drove the Dolphins to the Lions 19 in completing three of four passes to Landry, Wallace, and Gibson. On 3rd & 7 he committed his one major mistake of the day with a five yard sideline toss that was intercepted at the 14. On the return of that same interception, Tannehill perhaps made his best play of the day in tracking down and making a line backer like tackle at Miami's 16 yard line on the returnee of what was an obvious easy pik-six opportunity. The Dolphins next extremely exceptional play of the day came via the one hand of Brent Grimes that got Tannehill off the hook with an end zone interception on Staffords first down play. Grimmey's pick was his fourth in three games.
The Dolphins took the ball 75 yards on 14 plays from their own twenty. Tannehill went 8 of 10 to six different receivers for 55 yards to Detroit's five yard line, from where Miami kicked a field goal on 4th & 4 to get on the board and pull within seven at 3 - 10, with thirteen meaningless fist half seconds remaining.
As the NFL's most proficient third quarter team in terms of scoring ratio. The Dolphins on three possessions scored 10 unanswered third quarter points to pull ahead of the Lions by a score of 13 - 10 going into the fourth quarter. Jarvis Landry returned the third quarters opening kick 46 yards, and on first down Tannehill hit Hartline for a 12 yard first down, on second down the ball was punched away from Daniel Thomas' grasp for a Detroit forced fumble and recovery.
Detroit went five & out for three yards with the aid of a Jelani Jenkins sack and loss of 10 yards on the Lions second first down attempt, and Miami took possession at their own forty three. The Dolphins covered 25 yards on seven plays, and kicked a 50 yard field goal for a four point deficit of 6 - 10.
The home team followed from their own 23 with a 55 yard drive on 12 plays to the visitors 24 yard line where they faced a 4th & 6 forty two yard field goal attempt. Miami defensive tackle Earl Mitchell made a play for the second consecutive week with a block of the kick as much maligned defensive end Dion Jordan scooped it up at the Dolphins 39, and did all he could to return it 58 yards to the Lions 3 yard line. On first and goal from the three Ryan Tannehill connected with Mike Wallace in the flat for a Dolphins TOUCHDOWN, and 13 - 10 scoreboard advantage. with 1:17 third quarter ticks to go.
Miami's host negated the Dolphin lead with a 50 yard possession on eight plays that concluded with a 4th & 26 fifty yard field goal to even it up at 13 - 13 three minutes into the fourth quarter. Cam Wake accrued his second sack of the day for a 9 yard loss on 3rd & 17.
Dolphin ball from their own 28 yard line with 12:02 to go drive 70 yards on thirteen plays in 7:43 to the Lions TWO YARD LINE where Charles Clay drops a Tannehill touchdown pass on 3rd down which forces a Miami go ahead field goal for a 16 - 13 lead.
The Dolphins #3 defense forces another Lions three and out on three consecutive incompletions, and regains ball control at their own 17 yard line with 3:47 remaining on the game clock. Detroit's #1 defense returns the favor with a three and out of their own, and have the ball at their own 26 yard line with 3:13 to go.
Coincidentally. The Detroit Lions end the game with a 3 minute and 8 second time of possession advantage which was the deciding factor as they held the ball last (with substantial time remaining), and drove 74 yards on eleven plays in 2:44 for a third down go ahead touchdown pass of eleven yards. Miami got the ball needing a touchdown with 29 seconds remaining in a hell of an exciting back and fourth defensive battle that the 5 - 3 Dolphins unfortunately lose to the 6 - 2 Lions by a final score of 20 - 16.
The now 7 - 2 on a four game winning streak Lions with 351 total yards (288 through the air & 63 on the ground) out gained the now 5 - 4 Dolphins (222 total, 172 & 50) in yardage by 129 total yards (116 via the pass) to the extraordinary receivers by the name of Calvin Johnson, and Golden Tate.
Stafford went 24 of 40 for 280 with two touchdowns and an interception while Tannehill was 27 of 38 for 201 with a touchdown and interception. Jarvis Landry led the Dolphins in receiving with 7 catches for 53 yards followed by Mike Wallace's 5 receptions for 50 yards with a touchdown, and Charles Clay's 7 for 45 yards.
Each team had three sacks (Jelani Jenkins & Cam Wake times two), and an interception (Brent Grimes) while the Lions forced a fumble (D Thomas) and recovery (that didn't cost the Dolphins points) to win the turnover battle.
One more note of extreme game/season consequence is that the Miami Dolphins lost their prize free agent acquisition of Left Tackle Brandon Albert (for the remainder of the year) on their final possession of the second quarter!!
""Drizzle, Drazzle, Driffle, Drumm, Time For this One To Go Home""
Have Solace Friends!!
You only need to endure for four days when your Miami Dolphins come home to kick some Buffalo hide on the nationally televised Thursday Night Football Game!!
The Miami Dolphins are one game behind the pace of the AFC's current 3rd, 4th, 5th seeds, and just one half game behind the present 6th seed. As is Buffalo with a 2 - 4 conference record while the Dolphins are 4 - 2 within the AFC.
THANK YOU for an Open-Minded Read, and we look forward to your angle of view :))!
Beat the Bills!!
GOFINS!!!
