A unit that entered ranked 29th in yards allowed held Malik Willis and Miami to just nine points.
The Lions' defense has not been good this season, ranking 29th in yards allowed per game heading into Sunday. None of that showed up against the Dolphins, as Detroit held Malik Willis and Miami's offense to just nine points in a 19-9 win.
It was not a flashy performance, more of a grind-it-out effort that got the job done on the road. The Lions leaned on their defense to control a game their offense did not need to dominate, and the unit answered with its best showing of the year against a struggling Dolphins attack led by Willis.
The result matters for a Detroit team looking to prove that its defensive issues are not a lost cause. Miami, for its part, continues to search for answers on offense with Willis at the controls, and nine points will not get it done against most opponents this season.