The Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins are both teams that have been good only in fits and spurts in recent years. Through half a season, things are looking up for both teams. Detroit is 6-2 and in command of a competitive NFC North, while the Dolphins are 5-3 and tied for second place in the AFC East. The two will face off in one of the better Week 10 matchups this Sunday.
Dolphins vs. Lions 2014 preview: 3 things to watch
The Detroit Lions will likely have Calvin Johnson back when they take on the Miami Dolphins in Week 10.
The Lions have consistently skirted around the edges of the “elite” category in recent years, thanks to one of the most productive offenses in the league. On defense, they’ve come up short more often than not, which forced Detroit to make a big change by firing Jim Schwartz this past offseason. With nearly the same talent, Jim Caldwell now has the Lions ranked near the top of the league in every major defensive category, and the offensive side of the ball is clicking as well.
Miami has struggled to put it all together on either side of the ball, but it's showing well in key areas this season. With the league's fourth-ranked rushing attack and second-ranked pass defense, the Dolphins are a force to be reckoned with. They scored their biggest win of the season in Week 9, routing the San Diego Chargers by a score of 37-0.
Here are three things to watch for Sunday:
1. Calvin Johnson returns
It would appear that the Lions are finally getting their best offensive weapon back. Johnson, who has missed the last three games after spraining his ankle more than a month ago, is listed as probable and said this week he’s “almost 100 percent.” Assuming he is uninhibited on Sunday, his return will be a huge boost for a Detroit offense that has seen its production tail off without him.
Actually, one could make the argument that Johnson's extended absence could end up having a net positive effect. That's because it allowed Golden Tate -- who racked up 349 yards and two touchdowns over his last three games -- to find a real comfort zone with his new team. For years, Detroit didn't have a real No. 2 threat to line up opposite Johnson. Now they have two certifiable No. 1s.
2. Defense galore
Both the Lions and Dolphins rank among the top three teams in the NFL in terms of yards allowed per game and points allowed per game (Detroit is No. 1 in both). Both have done so on the strength of their defensive fronts. Anchored up the middle by the defensive tackle duo of Ndamukong Suh and Nick Fairley (the latter of whom will miss Sunday's game), the Lions own the second-best run defense in the league. The Dolphins' strength comes from their speed off the edge -- Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon have combined for 11 of the team's 25 sacks.
Miami allows just 201.1 passing yards per game, second in the league, and they rank highly against the run as well. Detroit has been miserable running the ball this year, but Matthew Stafford has been plenty good throwing the football. As mentioned above, the addition of Johnson should make things interesting. Detroit allows just 216.4 passing yards per game and 74.0 rushing yards per game on average.
3. Miami’s ailing running game
The Dolphins are just average in terms of throwing the football with Ryan Tannehill this year. But with 137.3 rushing yards per game on average, they rank fourth in the league at running the football, with Lamar Miller primarily carrying the load. Miller has carried the ball 106 times for 518 yards and five touchdowns this season, giving him a per-carry average of 4.9 yards. But Miller could miss the game due to injury.
Miller injured his left shoulder in the win over the Chargers. If he can't go, then Daniel Thomas, a second round pick in 2011, is likely to get the bulk of the carries. Thomas has 27 carries for 101 yards this season for a per-carry average of just 3.7 yards. Rookie Damien Williams would likely get some carries in relief. Knowshon Moreno is out for the season with a torn ACL.
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