Defense crumbles as Dolphins lose game and their best offensive player vs. Detroit
Don’t blame Brock Osweiler.
This Dolphins loss — a 32-21 home defeat to the Lions — was solely on the defense.
Miami on Sunday made Kerryon Johnson look like Barry Sanders.
And Matt Stafford wasn’t too bad either.
There are a ton of different stats that can explain just how bad it was for Matt Burke’s group Sunday, but a list of how Detroit’s possessions ended do the trick as well as any:
Touchdown.
Punt.
Field goal.
Touchdown.
Field goal.
Touchdown.
Field goal.
Field goal.
Kneel down.
And that final kick came after one final failure for the Dolphins.
Stafford and the Lions, up 29-21, faced third-and-7 from near midfield. Plenty of time remained for a game-tying drive.
All Miami needed was a stop.
On this day, that was an ask too big.
Stafford’s pass to Kenny Golladay fell incomplete, but Xavien Howard, who was in coverage, was flagged for interference.
That set up Matt Prater’s 50-yard game-clincher.
And when Jason Sanders hooked a 46-yard attempt with 48 seconds left, the inevitable was official:
Miami’s first home loss of the season.
But here’s the real story why the Dolphins lost:
Johnson was unstoppable (and usually untouched).
He reeled off a 71-yard run early. He was over 100 yards after four carries.
And he finished with 157 for the game on 20 carries.
The Lions collectively rushed for 249 yards (to 107 for Miami).
Meanwhile, the Dolphins offense is falling apart.
Albert Wilson left with a serious looking leg injury and did not return.
Kenny Stills was not the same after crashing into a security guard on a touchdown catch.
There were some positives. Kenyan Drake had 72 yards and a touchdown on just six carries.
And Osweiler, starting for an injured Ryan Tannehill for the second straight week, was 22 of 31 for 239 yards and two scores.
On any other day, that might have been enough for a Dolphins win.
On any day that the defense showed up, that is.
This story was originally published October 21, 2018 at 4:02 PM.