Lions’ No. 1 pass defense tests Dolphins offense in Miami Gardens

Miami Gardens - Detroit arrives at Hard Rock Stadium with the league’s No. 1 pass defense and a chance to place more pressure on a Miami offense that enters the matchup ranked 31st in scoring. The Lions are 4-3 after ending a three-game slide with a victory over Minnesota, while the 2-5 Dolphins are coming off a home loss to New England. That contrast puts Miami’s offense at the center of a matchup shaped by two highly ranked defenses.

The Lions allow 198.4 passing yards per game and rank fifth in scoring defense at 20.6 points allowed per game. Their broader defensive numbers are also notable: Detroit ranks seventh in total defense, allowing 357.6 yards per game. That unit now faces a Dolphins offense averaging 19.4 points and 322.7 total yards, the latter ranking 28th in the league.

Malik Willis has completed 107 of 181 passes for 1,305 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions for Miami. His matchup against Detroit’s pass defense will be one of the game’s defining tests. Willis is also listed on the injury report with an abdominal tear, adding uncertainty without establishing his availability for the game. If he is involved, protecting the football and finding openings against a defense allowing fewer than 200 passing yards per game will be central to Miami’s approach.

The Dolphins also have De’Von Achane, who has rushed 102 times for 396 yards and three touchdowns, on the injury report with a foot fracture. Miami’s rushing offense averages 112 yards per game and ranks 26th, but it will be attacking the more vulnerable statistical side of Detroit’s defense. The Lions rank 25th against the run at 159.1 yards allowed per game, a sharp contrast to their top-ranked pass defense. Marvin Mims Jr. leads Miami’s featured receiving production with 22 catches for 373 yards and three touchdowns.

Detroit’s offense presents a different challenge against a Miami defense that ranks third in total yards allowed and third against the run. The Dolphins surrender 342.3 total yards and 107.7 rushing yards per game. Those numbers put Jahmyr Gibbs in a demanding matchup after he compiled 597 yards and five touchdowns on 106 carries entering the week. Detroit averages 122.3 rushing yards per game, ranking 22nd.

Jared Goff has completed 142 of 218 passes for 1,480 yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions. Amon-Ra St. Brown has been his leading featured receiver, totaling 39 receptions for 496 yards and four touchdowns. Detroit ranks 27th in passing offense at 210.6 yards per game, while Miami ranks 11th in pass defense at 234.6 yards allowed. The Lions nevertheless average 25.3 points, which ranks 16th, giving their offense another way to measure itself against Miami’s third-ranked total defense.

Injuries add variables for both teams. Detroit running back Isiah Pacheco appears on the injury report with a broken ankle. Miami’s report includes Willis and Achane along with several offensive linemen, including Aaron Brewer with a torn labrum, Austin Jackson with broken ribs and Patrick Paul with a broken ankle. Their availability has not been established, but those listings remain relevant as Miami prepares for Detroit’s defense.

The teams last met in Week 12 of Season 34, when Detroit earned a 29-17 home victory. Goff completed 33 of 54 passes for 331 yards and two touchdowns in that game. That result offers historical context, but this meeting shifts to Miami Gardens and brings a different current-season profile, with both defenses carrying their teams’ highest statistical rankings.

For Detroit, the question is whether Goff, Gibbs and St. Brown can generate consistent production against a defense ranked third in both total yards allowed and rushing yards allowed. For Miami, the task is to unlock an offense ranked 31st in scoring against the league’s No. 1 pass defense. How the Dolphins navigate that challenge could determine the shape of the afternoon at Hard Rock Stadium.