The Miami Dolphins didn't win on Sunday against the Detroit Lions, losing 19-9. However, they made the Lions work for it in a way many didn't expect. Miami was a touchdown underdog despite being at home, largely due to the high-flying Detroit offense. Even with the Dolphins offense looking much more capable in recent weeks, many probably assumed that they wouldn't be able to keep pace.
Well, not so much.
Both offenses struggled for most of the afternoon, especially in the second half. If it weren't for a missed field goal by Miami's Zane Gonzalez, things would have been tied at just 6-6. The Lions eventually did enough to pull away, but the Dolphins' defense showed up despite being woefully outmatched on paper. Here are the biggest takeaways from the latest Dolphins loss.
Malik Willis struggles, defense surprises in Miami Dolphins loss to the Lions
Malik Willis (and the entire offense) struggled mightily
There is no sugarcoating it: this was a rough game for the Dolphins quarterback. He finished with just 128 passing yards and seven rushing yards, his second-lowest yardage output of the season. It certainly wasn't all on him, though, as the pass protection and nearly half a dozen holding penalties wrecked any chance of the passing game being effective.
It was also obvious early on that the groin injury Willis has been dealing with is still not 100%, as he couldn't create with his legs at all. If the injury is going to keep hampering him, it may be smart to give him a week off to get it right. He doesn't like the QB who finally broke out in Week 7, and that's the version this offense needs.
Dolphins run game goes quiet for the second week in a row
To make things even worse for the offense, the run game for Miami was shut down for the second straight week. After putting up just 74 yards on 23 carries against the Patriots, they managed just 77 yards on 21 carries this week against the Lions. Ollie Gordon II had just one run over 10 yards, and there generally wasn't much room to work with.
Willis not being fully healthy seems to have made opposing defenses tighten up their run defense, as they haven't been as afraid of him taking off for big plays. If the run game can't get going again, all of the momentum that the offense was creating could fizzle out quickly.
Caleb Douglas is the real deal
Despite an ugly drop that could have helped Miami make things close at the end of the game, Caleb Douglas was the Dolphins' best playmaker on Sunday by a wide margin. He finished with six catches on eight targets for 70 yards, including several big first downs.
His size and explosiveness were on full display all game, and he is making it clear that he is the best receiver in Miami when he is healthy. It may not end up mattering much this season, but his surprising rookie campaign is giving Dolphins fans hope for the future.
Miami's defense is starting to build momentum
The Dolphins' defense did a lot of great things in this game, but most impressive of all was how they handled star running back Jahmyr Gibbs. They held him to just 74 rushing yards on 20 carries, and they shut him out of the passing game entirely. His 74 scrimmage yards were a season-low for him, and it was his first game this season without a reception.
Miami also put consistent pressure on Jared Goff, sacking him three times and keeping him from finding any consistent rhythm. Outside of a couple of chunk plays, the Miami secondary made things very difficult for the Lions' receivers as well. Hopefully, this is the start of a turnaround for the struggling unit.
Time to look for yet another kicking option
Another week, another rough day for the Dolphins on special teams. Outside of a nice call on a fake punt to Kaytron Allen, it was ugly. Kicker Zane Gonzalez missed a 38-yard field goal that would have tied the game at halftime, his second week in a row with a miss under 45 yards. Ironically, he has made both of his kicks from beyond 50.
At this point, it may be time to find another kicking option to at least push Gonzalez in practice. As for the rest of the special teams, all fans may be able to do is hope that all of the young players on those units start to figure things out as the season moves along.
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