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The Detroit Lions beat the Miami Dolphins by a score of 20-16 on Sunday. Here are my three main takeaways from the game:
The Lions beat a good team on Sunday
The Lions' win on Sunday required yet another late comeback, but this one had a different feel than their wins over the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons. During those two comebacks, a lot of things went the Lions' way for them to beat a couple of mediocre teams. On Sunday, however, it was a close game throughout, and the Lions simply made more plays when the game was on the line. Plus, the Dolphins are actually a good team. That defense is legit, and Ryan Tannehill has become a solid quarterback. Yes, it would have been nice for the Lions to win in less stressful fashion, but I'm not going to complain about a win over that Dolphins team.
The defense is still carrying the Lions
The offense stepped it up when it had to, but the Lions were really carried by their defense on Sunday. Case in point: Miami had only 228 total yards and turned the ball over twice. What's more, the Lions only allowed 16 points, and seven of those points were set up by a blocked field goal. There were times when Tannehill moved the ball a bit too easily, but the Lions limited his damage and absolutely shut down the Dolphins' running attack (50 yards on 19 carries for a 2.6 average). If the offense can elevate its play later in the season and the defense can continue to play at this high of a level, the sky is the limit for this team.
Next week's game should be very interesting
By winning on Sunday, the Lions improved to 7-2 and set up a showdown for the top seed in the NFC with the Arizona Cardinals in Week 11. The Lions have not had much luck on the road against the Cardinals in recent years, but next week they will head to the desert with a chance to take over sole possession of first place in the NFC. This will be a big test for the Lions, and they could really establish themselves as one of the top teams in all of the NFL with a victory.