Lions Beat Dolphins 19-9 as Gibbs Scores the Only Touchdown

The Detroit Lions beat the Miami Dolphins 19-9 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens on Sunday, November 8, in Week 9 of the NFL season. Detroit scored the only touchdown of the game and held Miami without one.

Jake Bates kicked four field goals for Detroit, from 28, 40, 33 and 43 yards. His 43-yarder late in the fourth quarter closed the scoring. Jahmyr Gibbs ran 8 yards for the touchdown on fourth-and-1 with 1:20 left in the third quarter, giving the Lions a 16-6 lead.

A field goal game for a half

Detroit led 6-3 at halftime. Bates put the Lions ahead 3-0 in the first quarter and Miami levelled the score at 3-3 before Bates added his 40-yarder with 3:30 left in the second quarter. Miami reached field goal range before the break, but Zane Gonzalez missed a 38-yard attempt, so the score stayed 6-3.

The third quarter decided the game. On Miami's first drive after halftime, Chuck Clark returned an interception 34 yards to the Miami 26, and Bates kicked a short field goal for a 9-3 lead. Miami cut the margin to 9-6 with a field goal. Detroit then drove 65 yards in six plays. Jared Goff found Jameson Williams for 31 yards to open the drive and Amon-Ra St. Brown for 17 yards on the next play. On fourth-and-1 from the Miami 8, Gibbs took a pitch to the right, beat linebacker Jordyn Brooks to the corner and scored.

Miami mistakes

Miami quarterback Malik Willis finished 13 of 25 passes for 128 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception. The Dolphins were penalised 11 times, seven of them in the first half, and five were holding calls. Detroit held Miami to 228 net yards. Gibbs finished with 74 rushing yards on 20 carries for the Lions.

Detroit closed the game on the ground. On fourth-and-1 from the Miami 13 late in the fourth quarter, Goff kept the ball on a sneak and converted, and the Lions then ran out the clock in the victory formation.

Playing without Campbell

This was Detroit's first game without linebacker Jack Campbell, who suffered a neck injury against the Minnesota Vikings on November 1 and has been recovering at a hospital in the Detroit area. Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard and the team's linebackers wore Campbell's No. 46 jersey to the stadium.

The win was Detroit's fourth in a row and lifted the Lions to 6-2. Miami fell to 1-7 and lost at home for the fourth straight time. Detroit next faces the New England Patriots in Munich, Germany. Miami travels to Indianapolis to play the Colts next Sunday.