Nolan Bianchi, Richard Silva, John Niyo and Bob Wojnowski of The Detroit News offer predictions for Sunday’s game between the Lions and Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida (1 p.m., CBS/97.1 FM).
▶ Nolan Bianchi: The Lions must be careful not to overlook their last opponent before traveling to Munich, but given all the emotions that have been stirred up in Allen Park this week, I don’t think a look-ahead spot is possible here. A little defensive attrition isn’t enough to concern me against this Dolphins offense, which hasn’t been able to pass the ball all season. On the flip side, Miami has a young, up-and-coming defense, but the Lions offense just vanquished the Vikings, for goodness sake. The Lions are on the cusp of matching their longest winning streak of 2025, and I don’t see anything — certainly not the Miami Dolphins — stopping them. Pick: Lions, 38-17
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▶ John Niyo: Dan Campbell sees a bit of the Lions in these Dolphins, comparing the early-stage rebuild in Miami to the one he helped engineer here in Detroit back in 2021-22. And they do seem to be playing hard for first-year coach Jeff Hafley, losing a few one-score games against playoff teams over the last month. But some caveats apply: the Dolphins are spending nearly twice as much in dead cap money as they are on their actual 53-man roster. So they’re still young and vulnerable, and I’d expect the Lions to take advantage of that, first by attacking a Miami pass defense that’s allowing a league-worst 8.3 yards per attempt and then by overwhelming the Dolphins’ offensive line that’s giving up the second-highest pressure rate in the NFL. Pick: Lions, 28-17
Dolphins quarterback Malik Willis has six touchdown passes, five interceptions and has been sacked 21 times this season.
▶ Richard Silva: First-year Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley has brought with him to Miami his bend-don’t-break style of defense that helped the Packers sweep the Lions last season. But Hafley doesn’t have the star talent in Miami he enjoyed in Green Bay, and he certainly doesn’t have the experience; nearly 40% of Miami’s roster is made up of players in their rookie or second seasons. The Dolphins have promising players — offensive lineman Kadyn Proctor and linebacker Jacob Rodriguez stand out — but the Lions are a much more complete team. The Dolphins have played teams close and shouldn’t be overlooked, but the Lions should handle their business. Pick: Lions, 35-23
▶ Bob Wojnowski: The Dolphins are 1-6 but have played opponents close lately. The Lions (5-2) are coming off their most exhilarating/deflating victory of the season, beating the Vikings but losing linebacker Jack Campbell to a neck injury. This team has bounced back from devastating injuries before, and the defense has shown steady improvement. However, they’re still last in the league in several defensive metrics, although they stuffed the Vikings and Packers the past two games. Miami doesn’t present many offensive threats. Malik Willis has been serviceable, but has six touchdown passes, five interceptions and 21 sacks. The Lions’ defensive line should feast, and so should Jared Goff. Once Jahmyr Gibbs gets rolling, Goff gets time to throw, and Miami is last in the league in defensive completion percentage, allowing 76.9%. A letdown possibility after two tough division games? I suppose. But as long as the Lions don’t turn it over, they should be in command. Pick: Lions, 30-18
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Predictions: Lions at Miami Dolphins
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