Detroit Lions vs. Miami Dolphins, 10-21-18: In-game report
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The Miami Dolphins (4-3) missed a chance to keep pace with the New England Patriots in the AFC East after falling to the Detroit Lions (3-3) at home. The Lions used a stifling secondary and an efficient offensive attack to win the game. DraftNasty’s Troy Jefferson gives his impressions in this in-game report:
Kerryon Johnson
The rookie running back out of Auburn had his second career 100- yard rushing performance on Sunday. The Lions record would indicate that in order to win, they need production from Johnson. In the team’s three wins, Johnson has rushed for 109 yards per game and in their three losses he’s averaged 38 yards per game. On Sunday, Johnson rushed for 158 yards and kept the Lions in favorable down and distances, which resulted in them only having to punt once all afternoon. Johnson doesn’t just have an impact on the running game but the threat of his running ability has been enough to give quarterback Matthew Stafford, who finished with just four incompletions, cleaner looks on play action passes. The Lions used Johnson as a decoy to score their first touchdown after Stafford faked the handoff and threw a touchdown to tight end Michael Roberts. Johnson also gives the Lions a threat in the passing game (15 receptions on the season) and is a willing blocker in pass protection. If Detroit wants to continue to win against good teams, look for the Lions to rely on Johnson to bring a balance to the offense.
Lions secondary
The Lions secondary didn’t force Brock Osweiler into an interception but did play well enough in coverage to help force four sacks and give their team a commanding 20-7 advantage in the second half. Quandre Diggs came down from his safety position to fill in for Jamal Agnew, the team’s regular slot cornerback who is on IR due to a knee injury. Cornerback Darius Slay has continued his All-Pro performance from last season and played well on the outside. Slay prevented a would-be touchdown to Kenny Stills by bringing his hands through Stills’ hands and deflecting the ball away. For the game, Osweiler threw for 239 yards and almost a third of those yards came in the fourth quarter when the game was out of reach. Detroit’s secondary is the backbone of their defense and should serve them well against a number of top-tier quarterbacks in the NFC.
Mike Gesicki
DraftNasty highlighted Gesicki’s athleticism in advance of the draft last season and that athletic ability was on display against Detroit. The rookie from Penn State caught passes both as a hand in the ground tight end and when split out wide. Gesicki did a good job of chipping the defensive end before getting into the right seam and catching a pass in traffic. On another catch, Gesicki caught the ball over the middle on a crossing pattern and flashed his potential for getting yards after the catch. In total, Gesicki finished with three catches for 44 yards.
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