Miami Dolphins vs. Detroit Lions: Complete Week 10 Preview for Miami

Take a look at the hottest team in the NFL, your Miami Dolphins. 

At 5-3 the Dolphins are riding high on a three-game winning streak, a streak that includes them beating their opponents by an average of 21 points per game and forcing three turnovers per game. 

Because of that the Dolphins are finally getting much-deserved praise in the press—praise that will only continue if they can defeat their Week 10 opponent, the 6-2 Detroit Lions. 

The Lions have gotten it done in a similar fashion to the Dolphins: with a tough defensive front getting pressure on the quarterback. The Lions have the No. 1 defense in both points and yards in the NFL (the Dolphins are at No. 3) but have only forced 12 turnovers in their eight games, compared with the Dolphins who have forced 10 in their last three. 

Detroit has also done this despite missing key components. All-world wide receiver Calvin Johnson has missed the last three games, and running back Reggie Bush missed the last one. Defensive tackle C.J. Mosley is coming back from a suspension this week, and the Lions will be getting back linebacker Kyle Van Noy for the first time all season this week. 

Based on the records of both teams as well as how well they are playing, one might think to call this a preview of a big game of some sorts. Well, you are correct—you are reading a preview of this Sunday's big game between the Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins. 

Here is our preview of Sunday's game. 

Week 9 Recap

What is there more to say about the Dolphins' Week 9 victory over the San Diego Chargers? 

I thought when I saw the All-22 film from the game I would find something to nitpick here and there—things the Dolphins could have done better, decisions they could have made that would have been better, things like that. 

Not one bad coaching decision was made that day. That's almost impossible because coaches make so many decisions over the course of the game that at some point, they're going to make a bad one. 

Nope, not one, and only two cases of poor execution go along with that: the defense on the first drive (up until the stop on 4th-and-2) and Caleb Sturgis missing a 45-yard field goal (which is happening too often). 

Other than that, this was a perfect game. Miami's offense amassed 441 yards of total offense, while the defense held the Chargers to a total of 178 yards. 

Philip Rivers was made to look more like Ryan Leaf, committing four turnovers and completing only 13 passes for 148 yards and three interceptions (the other turnover was a fumble forced by Olivier Vernon). 

The star of the game was Ryan Tannehill, who completed 24 of 34 passes for 288 yards and three touchdowns, along with 47 yards on four rushes. 

While gaining these yards in the air and ground, Tannehill was fully in control, playing the Chargers defense like a yo-yo. He distributed the ball to eight different receivers and read through his options in a methodical fashion normally seen by the likes of Aaron Rodgers and Peyton Manning. 

This performance was Miami's first shutout since 2006 and its largest margin of victory since 1995. It raised expectations for the team. 

News and Notes

Tim Ireland/Associated Press

Louis Delmas Not Holding a Grudge Against Lions

The Lions and Dolphins have a lot in common, including the fact that each has an important player that once played for the opposition. 

Detroit has running back Reggie Bush, who is playing his first game against the Dolphins since he left in the 2013 offseason. 

The Dolphins have safety Louis Delmas, who up until last season played for the Lions before being released by the team prior to the start of the 2014 offseason. 

One would think Delmas might harbor a grudge against the team that drafted him. According to ESPN.com's James Walker, this isn't the case, with Delmas saying: "The one thing about me, I don't hold grudges or anything like that. I know they're a great opponent. I still know a couple of guys up there. It's business. I'm going to go up there and play football like we do each and every week." 

Part of the reason Detroit released Delmas was his injury history, as he missed 14 out of a possible 80 games in five seasons. So far this season he has played in every game for Miami, producing 29 tackles, an interception and a sack. 

It's been a good signing for Miami so far, and Delmas' presence might help in covering Calvin Johnson come Sunday. 

Daryn Colledge Wants to Start New Consecutive Starts Streak

History was made on Sunday, as for the first time in his career, Daryn Colledge was unavailable to play. 

His streak of 135 consecutive games played spanned three teams (the Dolphins, Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals), and for a player at the guard position, was quite impressive. 

After missing the first game of his career against San Diego due to a back injury, Colledge is determined to begin a new streak this week against the Lions. He said, per Andrew Abramson of The Palm Beach Post: “I missed one game. That was a bad enough experience. I don’t plan on missing two, so I fully expect to be ready. Dallas played at a high level, so if he has to be the guy and I have to take another week off, that’s where we’re at. If I have the chance to go and play, I plan on playing at 100 percent.”

Due to the good play of Dallas Thomas on Sunday and late against Jacksonville, the Dolphins didn't feel any of the ill effects you might expect. This isn't a risk you want to take against a defensive line as strong as Detroit's, so getting Colledge back would be a big boon to Miami's offensive line. 

Dolphins to Play Jets in London "Home" Game

To host the Super Bowl, you must move at least one home game within the next five years to London. 

Owner Stephen Ross desperately wants Miami to host either the 2019 or 2020 Super Bowl and is willing to do whatever it takes. At the end of the season he will begin a $350 million renovation to be completed by the start of the 2016 season. This will come from his own money despite years of trying to get funds from Miami-Dade County and the state of Florida. 

As per the rule listed earlier though, any team interested in hosting the Super Bowl will have to move a home game to London, and the Dolphins volunteered to do just that in 2015. In Week 4 they will "host" the New York Jets, per Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. 

Big, big mistake. 

This will be the first divisional matchup ever held in London, which is the first issue I have with the game. The Dolphins will be giving up a divisional home game in September against their most hated rival. 

Think about that for a second: no home-field advantage, no weather advantage, in a divisional home game. 

That's a terrible thing to get rid of; it hurts the fans and likely hurts the team. 

The other reason to be against it is it guarantees Miami an early bye week. The Dolphins have had early bye weeks in the last two seasons. Last season, their bye week came in Week 6, and you could tell that the early break had ill effects by the end of the season. 

Time will tell if it has an effect on this season. 

An NFL source pointed out to Salguero: "What it looks like to me is you have a team that would rather be hosting Super Bowls than playing in Super Bowls."

Ouch, yet it sums up my feelings on this issue. 

I'm not against playing a game in London, but the games in London should come against non-divisional teams. In 2015, the non-divisional teams on Miami's home schedule include the New York Giants, Dallas Cowboys, Houston Texans, Indianapolis Colts and an AFC North team to be determined by the standings at the end of the season. (If the season ended today, it would be the Cincinnati Bengals.) 

With the AFC North team yet to be determined, this would have left four choices better than the Jets. Sending Andrew Luck and the Colts would have been the best decision, as you'd have a game with two great young quarterbacks (assuming Tannehill continues to develop) as well as an elite defense. 

A matchup with the Texans in London works well too in a battle of two elite defenses with the two best pass-rushers in the league. 

Dolphins vs. Cowboys is always a big deal, and as for Dolphins vs. Giants, I could see why they didn't go in that direction, as it was the first London game played. 

Any of those choices would have been better than the Jets—not just in terms of building the NFL abroad (there's no guarantee the Jets will improve from the atrocious year they've had this year) but for the Dolphins. 

Then there's the time it's being held: Miami is giving up an early October home game, which typically favors Miami. The other two London games are being played in late October and early November. Why couldn't the Dolphins push for one of those slots, especially since they played an early October game already this season? 

All around, this was a mistake on the Dolphins' part, and for some fans it has put a stain on what has otherwise been one of the best weeks for the team in years. 

Injury Report

Lynne Sladky/Associated Press

Player	Position	Injury	Status
Earl Mitchell	Defensive Tackle	Abdomen	Questionable
Kelvin Sheppard	Linebacker	Hip/Groin	Questionable
Jordan Tripp	Linebacker	Ankle	Probable
Charles Clay	Tight End	Knee	Probable
Lamar Miller	Running Back	Shoulder	Questionable
Koa Misi	Linebacker	Ankle	Questionable
Mike Pouncey	Guard/Center	Hip	Probable
Jimmy Wilson	Safety	Hamstring	Questionable
Daryn Colledge	Guard	Back	Doubtful
Dion Sims	Tight End	Toe	Out
Anthony Johnson	Defensive Tackle	Back	Probable

Earl Mitchell being banged up would weaken Miami's defense, so the hope is he will be good to go on Sunday. 

Missing Dion Sims for a second straight week won't be advantageous either, as he adds an element in blocking and passing. 

The injury to look at is Lamar Miller's, as he suffered it against San Diego. He should be healthy enough to suit up, but how healthy will he be? Without an effective Miller, Miami's offense will have to rely more on the passing game, which isn't the situation the team wants to be in right now. 

Injury status provided by MiamiDolphins.com as of 11/7/2014 and will be updated as more information is released. 

X-Factor and Matchups to Watch

DAVE MARTIN/Associated Press

Mike Pouncey vs. Ndamukong Suh

There are a lot of great heavyweight battles in this game, and this is the first one. 

It's a real heavyweight battle, as Dolphins right guard Mike Pouncey will be assigned to Lions right tackle Ndamukong Suh. If you're a fan of trench play, this is the type of battle you've been waiting for. 

Both players are of similar heights and builds (Pouncey is 6'5", 305 pounds to Suh's 6'4", 307 pounds). Both have made Pro Bowls, and both have attracted controversy, but the respect for each other is there, as Mike Pouncey points out, per Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald. 

“He’s a really good football player," Pouncey said Wednesday. "He plays really hard. He’s a Pro Bowl football player. We have to go out and play our best against him. He’s going to be the best defender we play against all year."

In the piece, Salguero also points out Suh as a "dirty player—a reputation that had me writing this piece from 2012 concluding that he was a dirty, albeit great, player. 

A lot has changed in two years, and the dirty has been removed. Now Suh is just great, and it will be up to Pouncey to contain him. Pouncey has seen time on the injury list with his hip injury, but he'll be ready to go on Sunday. 

If Suh does get a little dirty though, there's no other player on the offensive line I'd rather have on him than Pouncey, who won't be afraid to put Suh in his place. 

Brent Grimes vs. Calvin Johnson

When you look at individual matchups, this game is like one of those loaded WrestleMania cards; we're talking WrestleMania 17-level good (forgive the wrestling reference for you non-wrestling fans). 

If Pouncey vs. Suh is Austin vs. The Rock, then Brent Grimes vs. Calvin Johnson serves as Triple H vs. The Undertaker. 

Note the contrasting styles between the two players, from the size (Calvin Johnson comes in at 6'5", 236 pounds, while Brent Grimes is 5'11",190 pounds), to the acclaim each player got going into the NFL (Johnson was the No. 2 pick, while Grimes went undrafted). 

But on the field we've seen similar results: Both players are among the best at their position, and it will be a battle. 

Grimes and Johnson have immense respect for each other, and the Lions know that despite the size disparity, Grimes will be as tough a corner as Johnson has faced all season. Quarterback Matthew Stafford had this to say, per Chris Perkins of the Sun Sentinel: "He plays a whole lot bigger than his size is listed. One of the bigger things is he's got great ball skills. He doesn't miss many opportunities to get an interception. That's, as a quarterback, something you take notice of, for sure."

Here is Grimes' opinion on Johnson: 

"

He's a great player. Everybody knows what he can do, what type of plays he can make, the problems he presents for a defense.

I know I'm probably being a little repetitive, but week in and week out, it really comes down to just playing your game, fundamentals, technique, trying to make them make mistakes and, if they do make a mistake, capitalize on it.

"

How Stafford plays will have a major hand in this battle—a battle that can swing the game. 

But it's not the most important cornerback vs. wide receiver clash in this matchup. 

Cortland Finnegan vs. Golden Tate

This battle, which to extend our WrestleMania 17 comparison, is the Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit matchup. 

It's overlooked but important. 

Golden Tate is Detroit's No. 1 receiver. It has to do with the fact that he's been healthy in all eight games, while Johnson has missed three, but his filling in for Johnson isn't the only reason for his success. 

Tate has been targeted 88 times and caught 55 passes for 800 yards and three touchdowns. More impressive is his yards per catch average of 14.5. 

He is a deep threat, and one Miami will likely have to keep in single coverage. 

Cortland Finnegan can play him well in that situation, and the numbers back up the fact that he already has. Back in 2012, Finnegan's Ram's faced Tate's Seahawks twice. In the first game, Finnegan held Tate to one catch for seven yards. 

The rematch didn't quite go as well for Finnegan. Tate had three catches for 105 yards including a 44-yard reception. The two haven't faced off since. 

This will be the third meeting between the two, and Finnegan has to shut down Tate like he did in 2012. Miami can afford for either Tate or Johnson to go off on Sunday, but certainly not both. 

X-Factor: Reshad Jones

Why are we picking on the secondary here? 

In addition to being Miami's second-most reliable unit, the defensive backs also are facing their toughest test—one that they will be sure to pass, but it will take a total effort. 

The captain of this effort in the end will be Reshad Jones, who will have to serve as the secondary's quarterback throughout the game. 

He has improved Miami's secondary since coming back. Of the 10 turnovers the team has produced in the last four games, the secondary is responsible for seven of them. 

That's the Jones effect, even though he's only responsible for one of them directly. He has been excellent since coming back and will have to be even better against Detroit. 

Prediction

Chris Trotman/Getty Images

I've been really bad at this prediction stuff all season. 

I've predicted losses against New England, Oakland, Green Bay, Chicago and San Diego. 

I'm 1-4 there. 

I've predicted victories against Buffalo, Kansas City and Jacksonville. 

Record: 1-2. 

Also against Jacksonville I predicted an offensive explosion, but that didn't happen until the next week against San Diego—the game I predicted via coin flip because I thought the teams were so similar. 

Point is, I'm really, really bad at this prediction stuff this season and therefore would like to not make a prediction on this game. 

But alas, I have to, so here it is. 

Two of the best defenses in the NFL facing off should be a treat. You'll look at the names on offense and expect fireworks, but you just won't see that. 

Can Brent Grimes shut down Calvin Johnson? Yes. Can Golden Tate get impeded by Cortland Finnegan? Yes. 

Pouncey vs. Suh will be a draw, and a draw in that matchup favors Miami. 

So then that leads to the quarterbacks, and at this time, I'm going with Tannehill over Stafford. Stafford is still a bit too wild and has the cockiness to be that wild with his receivers. 

But that doesn't mean Miami will win. I trust Tannehill to make fewer mistakes than Stafford, but the Dolphins won't score enough. 

With Lamar Miller being a bit banged up, he won't be effective, and with Detroit's pass rush, the Dolphins will play it a bit more conservatively than they should. 

I see Miami getting two to three scores in the game, with Detroit getting about the same. This contest is going to be decided by a field goal—hell, I think it's going into overtime. 

That means Caleb Sturgis time. I do not trust Sturgis. 

Prediction: Lions 23, Dolphins 20 in OT

Statistics courtesy of NFL.com and Pro-Football-Reference.com.

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