The Detroit Lions are on the road in Miami today looking for a fourth straight win after back-to-back division victories at home against Green Bay and Minnesota in Weeks 7 & 8. The Dolphins are 1-6 on the season but have played in one-score contests in each of their last four games.

Here are five things to look out for in today's interconference matchup:

1. Play like 46

Team captain, defensive leader and MIKE linebacker Jack Campbell won't be in the lineup today as he's still recovering from a neck injury suffered in last week's win over the Vikings. The theme at the Meijer Performance Center all week was to prepare and play like No. 46. This will be the first game Campbell has missed since entering the NFL in 2023 and Detroit will need players to step up in his absence. More has been put on the plate of Derrick Barnes, Malcolm Rodriguez and the rest of the linebacker corps. The Lions' defense will need those players to step up and play big today.

2. Limiting Dolphins' ground attack

The Dolphins rank 31st in scoring (16.7) and 27th in total offense (290.0) but have had success running the football, ranking in the upper half of the league averaging 113.1 yards per game on the ground. Ollie Gordon II is a big, physical downhill runner. Detroit will have to be good rallying to the football and getting him on the ground.

Quarterback Malik Willis is the third-leading rusher among quarterbacks this season behind only Josh Allen and Jayden Daniels. He's good at extending plays with his legs and can be a difficult, dual threat to defend on third down. Detroit comes into today's contest with a Top 10 run defense on the year, limiting opponents to 96.6 yards per game on the ground.

3. Can Gibbs stay hot?

Running back Jahmyr Gibbs is off to a terrific start to the 2026 season and is coming off a 153-yard rushing performance against Minnesota last week with 168 total scrimmage yards and a touchdown. Gibbs needs at least 140 scrimmage yards today to become just the fourth player under the age of 25 with at least 140 scrimmage yards in six of their team's first eight games to start the season. The other three players on that list are Jim Brown, Christian McCaffrey and Ricky Williams.

Backup running back Sione Vaki had career highs in carries (11) and yards (65) last week. Head coach Dan Campbell said that performance earned Vaki a lot of trust from the coaching staff.  Will he continue to get a larger share of the load to try and give Gibbs a little more rest throughout the course of the game. Vaki (ankle) was added to the injury report Friday and is listed as questionable for today's contest.

4. Familiarity with Detroit

Detroit and Miami aren't familiar opponents being from different conferences, but Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley knows the Lions well. Hafley was the defensive coordinator in Green Bay in 2024 and 2025 before taking Miami's head coach position this offseason. He knows better than most what Detroit's strengths are offensively.

While the Dolphins have struggled offensively this season, they've been solid on defense, ranking in the middle of the pack in a lot of categories. Edge rusher Chop Robinson leads the NFL is pass-rush win rate, linebackers Jacob Rodriguez and Jordyn Brooks are disruptive, and safety Michael Taffe is one of only three rookies this season with multiple interceptions. Detroit's offense will have to be on point today.

5. Dynamic duo

The Lions' defensive line has been stout all season, getting contributions from a lot of different players. Edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson and defensive lineman Alim McNeill have led the charge. Both are top five in the NFL in quarterback hurries (Hutchinson 27, McNeill 21) and top four in pressure percentage (Hutchinson 15 percent, McNeill 11.8). They also rank in the top 10 in total pressures (Hutchinson 43, McNeill 31).

Having an elite edge rusher and disruptive interior defender puts so much pressure on an opposing offensive line. Both are just as good against the run as they are getting after the passer, and they've been the catalyst for Detroit's consistent play upfront on defense all season.