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When second-year linebacker DeAndre Levy converged on a Chad Henne pass and snagged it, the Lions’ sideline erupted.

Levy returned the ball 30 yards, weaving his way through the Dolphin players before finally reaching the end zone for what would ultimately be the game-winning score in a 34-27 decision.

“It kind of took me back to my little league days, but I just saw the route develop,” he said. “We went Tampa-2, I’m running the deep middle and I saw Henne eye the slot receiver the whole way, trying to sit him down right in front of me and I kind of just gambled to jump over it.

“If there was someone over my head, it would’ve been another story, but I gambled and it worked out for me.”

Levy was just one of many foundational players to come up big at Miami.

Running back Jahvid Best had the first of three Detroit fourth-quarter scores – a short pass he ran back 53 yards for a touchdown.

The play cut a 10-point deficit to three with less than five minutes to go in the game.

“It just happened to be what they played in that circumstance,” said Head Coach Jim Schwartz of the play call. “I though Shaun did a really good job managing (the game). He didn’t make any mistakes where we had the ball in danger.

“There were a couple of shots that he took where the ball sort of got away from him a bit and the ball was in danger of getting picked, (but we never gave one up).”

Detroit would then tie the game on a Dave Rayner field goal, getting the ball back after cornerback Nathan Vasher picked off Henne at the 36-yard line.

The Lions’ defensive line had Henne under duress throughout the game, undoubtedly leading to Detroit’s big plays down the stretch.

“I think we just had to turn up the intensity,” said Vasher of Detroit’s fourth-quarter defensive performance. “I think it was more or less what we weren’t doing in the first half, as far as executing and guys came out and played with a lot of energy.

“For the past couple of weeks, we’ve been learning how to win and close out games in the fourth quarter. This is just another example of that.”

Brandon Pettigrew and Ndamukong Suh – two other players drafted within the past two years – also came up big for Detroit.

Pettigrew had Detroit’s first touchdown of the game – a 20-yard reception – in the first half. That reception, along with another 33-yard reception, gave him the Lions’ record for reception yards in a season by a tight end, passing Hall of Famer Charlie Sanders.

As it turns out, Pettigrew’s performance was a catalyst in Best’s key touchdown.

“They were so preoccupied with (Scheffler) and Brandon (Pettigrew),” said quarterback Shaun Hill, “he just kind of came out of their free and took off."

Like Pettigrew, Suh’s performance helped him to a key spot within the Detroit record books.

He notched his ninth sack of the season to move to third on Detroit’s all-time sacks list by defensive tackles.

He and the Lions’ defensive line were in Henne’s face throughout the game, helping a Detroit secondary that lost starter Chris Houston to a shoulder injury.

“It has been the story, it seems like, all year,” said Vasher.

“Tye Hill did a great job today stepping in for Chris and it’s just playing together as a secondary back there and making the plays and the stops when we needed to – especially in that last two minute drive and just in the latter part of the fourth quarter.”

It isn’t coincidental that this third-consecutive win for Detroit saw many up-and-coming players contribute significant plays.

It shows that Schwartz and General Manager Martin Mayhew have been doing what they said they would at the outset of their tenure: build through the draft and work in key free agents.

“(Playing at Minnesota next week) will be big – (we’ll) get back in front of our home crowd again,” said Schwartz. “A lot of people (are) playing for the playoffs, but we might be playing for something more important than the playoffs: the direction of this team and the momentum going into 2011.”