Jahmyr Gibbs scored the game’s lone touchdown and Jake Bates went 4-for-4 on field goals to help the Detroit Lions emerge with a 19-9 win over the host Miami Dolphins on Sunday afternoon.
Gibbs ran for 74 yards on 20 carries and found the end zone with an 8-yard touchdown with 1:20 left in the third quarter to give the Lions a 16-6 lead.
Detroit (6-2) sacked Miami quarterback Malik Willis three times and intercepted him once as the Lions withstood a tough defensive effort by the rebuilding Dolphins (1-7) to win its fourth in a row. Miami has dropped back-to-back games at home after beating the Jets for its lone win.
Dan Campbell won his 54th game as Lions head coach against his former team. Campbell is now second all-time in wins in franchise history behind Wayne Fontes (66).
Dolphins’ kicker Zane Gonzalez went 3-for-4 on field goals, connecting from 34, 52 and 34 yards. The latter came with 9:26 left in the fourth to cut the Lions’ lead to 16-9. But Detroit answered with a nine-play, 46-yard drive capped by a 43-yarder by Bates with 4:28 left.
The Dolphins failed to pick up a first down on their ensuing drive as Derrick Moore recorded the second of his two sacks.
Willis’ pass on fourth down had the distance to get a first down, but was dropped by rookie Caleb Douglas, ending Miami’s hopes of pulling a miraculous comeback.
Douglas totaled six catches for 70 yards to lead Miami’s pass catchers. But Miami was held under 100 yards rushing for the second consecutive week after rushing for over 100 each of the previous five games.
Ollie Gordon II led the group with 55 yards on 16 carries as Miami finished with 77 rushing yards overall. Willis completed 13 of 25 passes for 128 yards.
Jared Goff completed 17 of 25 passes for 170 yards, no touchdowns and threw only his second interception of the season in the first quarter when rookie Chris Johnson recorded his first career pick.
Miami had Goff under consistent pressure in the first half, recording three sacks.
The teams each executed fake punts in the game as the Dolphins’ Bradley Pinion (46 yards) and Jack Fox (11 yards) completed passes for first downs.