The Miami Dolphins will take on the Detroit Lions on Sunday afternoon at Ford Field for the second of four battles against NFC North opponents this year.
Detroit is 1-5 nearly halfway through the 2022 season, and they could be heading in a direction that usually results in a coaching change. While it may not happen this year, if they continue down this path, it’s bound to happen eventually.
With that said, this matchup against the Lions is still one that the Dolphins can’t take lightly.
Here are a few reasons why Miami should be concerned heading into Week 8:
Miami's injuries are stacking up
While Tua Tagovailoa and Terron Armstead returned last week, the Dolphins are far from healthy.
Byron Jones has still yet to play this year, as he recovers from offseason Achilles surgery. On top of that, Nik Needham, Trill Williams and Brandon Jones have all suffered season-ending injuries already.
Keion Crossen and Kader Kohou have also been limited in practice, meaning it really could just be Xavien Howard and Noah Igbinoghene as the true cornerbacks against Detroit.
The Lions' offense has been potent this year.
A team with a 1-5 record rarely has shown the offensive firepower that Detroit has this year. Entering Week 8, they’re ninth in scoring (24.3 points per game), ninth in passing offense (249.5 yards per game) and seventh in rushing offense (145.7 yards per game).
Against this injury-riddled secondary, Jared Goff may be able to return to fantasy relevance after his last two games.
Three young playmakers for Goff to get the ball to
When you think of star players for the Lions, the first thoughts are usually of Barry Sanders and Calvin Johnson, and that’s not wrong. They’ve had arguably the most-talented running back and wide receiver in NFL history.
However, they have a few players right now that deserve some shine in their own right.
D’Andre Swift has struggled to stay healthy in his career, missing at least three games in all three of his professional seasons, but when he’s on the field, he’s a game-changer. He’s rushed for 4.7 yards per attempt (8.6 this year) and provides a lot in the receiving game as well.
T.J. Hockenson may not be the most-discussed tight end in the league, but he’s still respectable. Like Swift, he has to work on staying on the field. He’s currently on pace to set career-highs in receptions, yards and touchdowns.
Finally, the rise of Amon-Ra St. Brown may be the most impressive story in the NFL. After being a fourth-round selection out of USC last year, St. Brown recorded 90 receptions for 912 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie. This year, he’s on pace with those numbers again, and he’ll actually surpass the trips to the end zone. He’ll be a priority for Howard this Sunday.
No. 2 overall pick putting pressure on Tagovailoa
In this year’s draft, the Lions selected Michigan product Aidan Hutchinson with the second-overall pick, and he’s been as impactful as you’d expect from a rookie edge rusher.
Through six games, he has 19 pressures, 17 tackles, nine quarterback hits and 4.5 sacks. While Armstead’s presence at left tackle could certainly help on that side, Hutchinson can rush off of both ends, meaning he may be going up against Brandon Shell.
Shell will have to play his best game as a Dolphin if he wants to protect Tagovailoa’s blindside from a hungry rookie who wants to continue proving himself.
