Recap: Lions' run game drops Dolphins, 32-21

Nolan Bianchi
Special to The Detroit News
Lions running back Kerryon Johnson runs down the sidelines for a long first down on Sunday against the Dolphins.

Final leaders

Passing

DET - Matthew Stafford: 18/22, 217 yds., 2 TDs

MIA - Brock Osweiler: 22/31, 239 yds., 2 TDs

Rushing

DET - Kerryon Johnson: 19 atts., 158 yds.

MIA - Kenyon Drake: 6 atts., 72 yds., TD

Receiving

DET - Michael Roberts: 3 recs., 48 yds., 2 TDs

MIA - Danny Amendola: 6 recs., 84 yds., TD

Miami comeback effort falls short

Sam Martin's kick is taken for, you guessed it, a touchback.

Brock Osweiler throws a 13-yard pass to Danny Amendola and then completes a 14-yarder to Nick O'Leary to keep the chains moving.

Timeout Miami (1:26 4th)

On first-and-10 from the 48, Osweiler goes deep to Stills. Darius Slay floats in like Michael Jordan from the foul line and swats it to the ground. Nevin Lawson gets called for holding, though, and the Dolphins will have another first down.

Osweiler is dropped by Jarrad Davis for a loss of 2. 

Timeout Miami (1:14 4th)

Kenyon Drake catches a pass in the middle of the field for four yards. Great clock management.

Timeout Miami (1:03 4th)

Jakeem Grant catches a pass near the right sideline for a gain of 13 at the Detroit 28. That'll stop the clock.

Osweiler's throw to Amendola on the next play is way off the mark. Jason Sanders will come in to try a 46-yard field goal.

It hooks just left at the last moment. This one's a wrap.

Lions 32, Dolphins 21 (0:48 4th)

The Lions are in victory formation.

Lions 32, Dolphins 21 (FINAL)

Lions take two-score lead in fourth

Ameer Abdullah takes a knee after fielding the kickoff.

Kerryon Johnson picks up a yard on first down. The always slippery Golden Tate skirts away from four different Miami defenders on his way to a 22-yard gain to make it first-and-10 at the 48.

LeGarrette Blount gets 3 yards on first down. Johnson is stuffed for no gain on second down with the whole city of Miami blitzing on the play. Stafford's throw to Golladay falls incomplete, but Xavien Howard is flagged for pass interference. The Lions will have a fresh set of downs at the Miami 34.

Blount goes for a gain of 1 on first down and Stafford overthrows Marvin Jones on second down. Johnson is stopped by former Lion Akeem Spence for a gain of 2.

Two-minute warning

Matt Prater's kick from 50 yards out is right down the middle, obviously.

Lions 32, Dolphins 21 (1:55 4th)

Dolphins make it a one-score game in fourth

Sam Martin's kick is taken for a touchback.

Jakeem Grant hauls in a 19-yard reception on first down. 

Kenyon Drake is dropped at the Miami 43 for a loss of 1 on the next play. Quandre Diggs is called for pass interference on second down that'll give the Dolphins 3 free yards and a first down.

Brock Osweiler kicks it to Nick O'Leary on first down for a 9-yard gain to reach Lion territory. Frank Gore picks up the first down with a 2-yard run on the next play.

Injury: Lions tackle A'Shawn Robinson was injured on the play, but eventually walked off under his own power.

Darius Slay plays a deep ball to Kenny Stills perfectly and breaks up a shot to the end zone on first down. Danny Amendola catches a pass in the flat and picks up 13 to make it first-and-10 at the 30-yard-line.

Osweiler tries a deep ball to Drake, but his pass lands just past his outstretched hands. Gore goes up the middle for a gain of 6 on second down. Amendola pulls in his first touchdown as a Dolphin with a terrific throw from Osweiler. Ryan Tannehill might get Wally Pipp'd.

Lions 29, Dolphins 21

Lions add to lead with another Prater field goal

Kerryon Johnson runs for 12 yards on first down. 

Golden Tate takes the jet sweep on the next play and rips up the sideline for a 30-yard gain to make it first-and-10 at the Miami 38.

Kenny Golladay catches a screen pass near the right sideline and gets upfield for a 15-yard gain. Lions offense moving quickly. 

Ameer Abdullah gets his first carry of the season, picking up just a yard.

Injury: Miami linebacker Jerome Baker is being attended to on the field by the training staff.

Johnson is stopped for no gain on second down to make it third-and-9. Golden Tate fumbles after catching a bubble screen, but picks up his mistake. Nonetheless, it's not enough for a first down. 

Prater's attempt from 35 yards out is good.

Lions 29, Dolphins 14 (10:04 4th)

Jean Francois halts Miami drive with sack

Jakeem Grant goes to the Miami 17 on the return.

Kenyon Drake rushes for 4 yards on first down and Danny Amendola catches a 7-yard pass on second down to move the chains for Miami.

Drake goes for 9 yards on the next play and Frank Gore follows that up with a 3-yard run for another first down at the Miami 40.

Quandre Diggs gets to the backfield in pursuit of Brock Osweiler on first down and forces the Miami quarterback to throw his pass to the grass. Ricky Jean Francois drops Osweiler on second down for a loss of 7 on the last play of the third quarter.

Lions 26, Dolphins 14 (End 3rd)

The Dolphins rip a screen pass on third down to Drake, who's dropped by Jarrad Davis for a gain of only 2. 

Golden Tate fields the punt and is brought down at the 20-yard-line.

Lions 26, Dolphins 14 (14:03 4th)

Roberts' second touchdown puts Detroit up 12

Ameer Abdullah takes a knee in the end zone on the kick and Detroit will start at the 25.

Kerryon Johnson rumbles forward on first down for a gain of 4. Matthew Stafford's throw on second down is deflected to the ground. A Dolphin lined up in the neutral zone, however, and it'll be second-and-1. Johnson gets to the left end and makes a handful of defenders miss on his way to an 18-yard gain to reach the Miami 48.

Stafford goes deep down the sideline to Marvin Jones Jr., who is tripped up on the route. That pass will give Detroit 25 free yards. First-and-10 at the 23.

LeGarrette Blount gets the handoff on first down and gets 13 yards and a first down at the Miami 10.

Johnson is stopped after gaining just 1 yard on second down. Golden Tate catches a 5-yard pass that'll make it third-and-goal at the 4. Michael Roberts gets targeted in the flat and crosses the goal line for his second touchdown of the day.

Detroit will go for two. Blount is stopped deep in the backfield and the attempt is no good.

Lions 26, Dolphins 14 (3:16 3rd)

Dolphins respond with 54-yard touchdown

Injury update: Dolphins wide receiver Albert Wilson is out for the remainder of today's game. Running back Frank Gore is back in.

Sam Martin's kick is taken for a touchback. 

Gore goes for a gain of 3 on first down. The Dolphins are flagged for holding on a second-down pass. The penalty is declined. Mike Gesicki hauls in a pass on a crossing route and gets upfield to the 46-yard-line for an 18-yard gain.

Brock Osweiler goes deep for Kenyon Drake on first down. The throw is on point, but Drake can't come down with it. Drake cuts through the line on second down, though, and breaks free for a 54-yard touchdown run.

Lions 20, Dolphins 14 (7:06 3rd)

Lions kick another field goal on first drive of second half

Jason Sanders' kick goes out of the end zone. Detroit will start at the 25.

Marvin Jones Jr. catches a pass near the left sideline, breaks a tackle and picks up 16 yards on first down. 

LeGarrette Blount gets the ball on the next play and picks up 9. Kerryon Johnson gets 8 yards on the next play to move the chains for Detroit at the Miami 42.

Matthew Stafford puts a first-down pass into an extremely tight window, and Kenny Golladay pulls it in for a gain of 22. Detroit is in the red zone.

Johnson gets 7 yards on the next play to make it second-and-3 at the 13. Stafford throws a touchdown pass to Golladay, but Frank Ragnow is called for illegal use of hands and the play is called back. Second-and-13. Ameer Abdullah catches a pass that gets within inches of the first down marker. Johnson catches the pitch, reverses field, and is brought down by Minkah Fitzpatrick just short of the line.

Stafford sneaks it across the line on fourth down to keep the drive alive.

Johnson is wrapped up for a loss of 1 on first down. Golden Tate drops a perfectly-placed ball at the goal line. Stafford's screen pass on third down falls incomplete.

Prater's try from 28 yards out is good.

Lions 20, Dolphins 7 (8:32 3rd)

First half leaders

Passing

DET - Matthew Stafford: 10/11, 116 yds., TD

MIA - Brock Osweiler: 11/13, 103 yds., TD

Rushing

DET - Kerryon Johnson: 7 atts., 106 yds.

MIA - Frank Gore: 6 atts., 15 yds.

Receiving

DET - Michael Roberts: 2 recs., 44 yds., TD

MIA - Albert Wilson: 3 recs., 32 yds.

Lions add to lead just before halftime

Ameer Abdullah catches Jason Sanders' kick in the end zone for a touchback. Detroit will start at the 25.

Kerryon Johnson is stuffed on the left end for no gain on first down. He catches a screen pass from Matthew Stafford on the next play and throws Kiko Alonso to the ground with a strong stiff arm before stepping out-of-bounds for a gain of 15.

Luke Willson gets to the Detroit 43 with a 3-yard catch. Golden Tate catches a pass at the 47-yard-line and is dropped immediately to make it third-and-3. Stafford stands strong with a closing pocket and goes back to Willson for a 5-yard gain that'll move the chains.

Johnson gets 4 yards on first down. Stafford does a dance to avoid Dolphin pass rushers and then escapes for a 9-yard gain that'll give the Lions a first down at the Miami 35.

LeGarrette Blount finds a hole on first down and bursts forward for a 12-yard gain. Andre Branch, seemingly offsides, gets in the backfield before the second-down snap even reaches Stafford's hands. He belts the Lions' quarterback from behind as he lets go of the ball, and the football goes out-of-bounds for an 8-yard loss. Weird play.

Two-minute warning

After further review, it appears that Branch just got a great jump, and was not, in fact, offsides.

Michael Roberts hauls in a 29-yard reception and is pushed out-of-bounds at the Miami 2-yard-line to make it first-and-goal.

Johnson, not Blount, gets the goal line carry. He's stuffed for no gain. Blount gets the carry on second down and goes in the end zone completely untouched.

Lions 17, Dolphins 7 (1:02 2nd)

Jakeem Grant takes the kick from the end zone and gets to the 23-yard-line.

Danny Amendola catches an 8-yard pass on first down. Osweiler loses all of those yards after getting sacked for a loss of 8. The Dolphins will let the first half clock expire.

Lions 17, Dolphins 7 (End 2nd)

Dolphins cut into Detroit lead with touchdown drive

Sam Martin's kick is taken out of the end zone by Jakeem Grant, who returns it to the 23.

Fox lets everyone know that Clayton Kershaw is friends with Matthew Stafford. Very neat.

Kenyon Drake catches a 5-yard pass on first down. Teez Tabor is beaten in coverage as Albert Wilson catches a pass over the middle for a gain of 25 that'll make it first-and-10 at the Detroit 47.

Injury: Albert Wilson is down on the play. He looks to be in a ton of pain, but eventually gets off the field under his own power.

Brock Osweiler hits Drake for a 4-yard pass. Frank Gore goes up the middle on second down for 5 yards, and it'll be third-and-1. 

Timeout Detroit (10:20 2nd)

Mike Gesicki makes a nice catch that goes for 27 yards to the Detroit 11. 

Frank Gore is stuffed by Jarrad Davis at the line on first down for no gain. Gore limps off the field after the play. Osweiler's throw on second down falls incomplete. Osweiler has nowhere to go with the ball and keeps it himself before getting tripped up for a gain of a couple. Nevin Lawson is flagged for illegal use of hands, however, so it'll be first-and-goal at the 4.

Timeout Miami (8:26 2nd)

Osweiler flips it to Gesicki up the middle. They lose a little less than a yard. Osweiler throws to Drake on second down, and Davis is right on top of him. The pass falls incomplete. 

Timeout Miami (7:38 2nd)

Osweiler goes over the top to Kenny Stills for a Dolphins touchdown. Stills barrels into a security guard as he exits the back of the end zone. Stills appears to be banged up and goes to the medical tent; the security guard is hurt, too. Pretty tough scene. 

Anyway, Jason Sanders' extra point is through the uprights and it's a 3-point game.

Lions 10, Dolphins 7 (7:33 2nd)

Johnson reaches 100-yard mark on 4 carries; Lions add to lead

LeGarrette Blount plows forward up the middle for a 5-yard pickup on first down. That's the end of the first quarter.

Lions 7, Dolphins 0 (End 1st)

Kerryon Johnson bursts through the line on second down and races up the sideline for a 71-yard gain that'll make it first-and-10 at the 20. 

Johnson has 104 yards on four carries.

Marvin Jones Jr. catches a pass near the sideline that goes for 8 yards. Blount is stuffed a yard short of the line to gain on second down and is dropped for no gain on second down. Matt Prater will be out to try a 29-yard field goal.

Prater's try is through the uprights.

Lions 10, Dolphins 0 (12:34 2nd)

Dolphins reach Lions territory, still punt

Brock Osweiler completes a pass on first down to Danny Amendola for a gain of 19 to make it first-and-10 at the Detroit 42.

Frank Gore is flagged for a false start on the next play, so it'll be first-and-15.

Gore gets a yard on the next play. Osweiler hits Albert Wilson on a shallow crossing route that'll go for 4 yards to make it third-and-10. The handoff goes to Kenyon Drake on third down; he only gets a yard before getting swallowed up by Da'Shawn Hand. The boo birds are out in Miami.

TJ Jones is now back to return the punt for Detroit. Miami's punt is downed at the 4.

Lions 7, Dolphins 0 (0:12 1st)

Lions drive stalls with batted pass on third down

Matthew Stafford completes a first-down pass to Marvin Jones Jr. for a gain of 5. Ameer Abdullah appears in the backfield with Kerryon Johnson on second down; Johnson gets the handoff and runs for a gain of 3 to make it third-and-2. The Lions opt for a throw in the flat to try for the first down, and Stafford's throw is batted down at the line by Kiko Alonso. 

Jakeem Grant returns Sam Martin's punt to the Miami 39.

Lions 7, Dolphins 0 (3:34 1st)

Lions defense holding steady early

Sam Martin's kick bounces out of the end zone. Miami will start at the 25.

Frank Gore gets 5 yards on a first-down carry. Gore catches a pass in the flat on second down and is taken down by Jarrad Davis for a 4-yard gain to make it third-and-1. Albert Wilson gets the pitch and makes Quandre Diggs miss on his way to a 5-yard gain for a Miami first down.

Gore gets 3 yards on first down. Wilson takes a run up the middle on second down; Diggs shoots the gap untouched and trips him up for a loss of 1. Osweiler's third-down pass is completed to Wilson, but it only goes for a 3-yard gain. Miami will punt.

The punt is downed at the 11-yard-line.

Lions 7, Dolphins 0 (5:18 1st)

Lions take early lead with Roberts touchdown

Kerryon Johnson gets the carry on Detroit's first play from scrimmage; he bounces to the outside and gets upfield to the Miami 40 for a 24-yard gain. 

Matthew Stafford throws to Johnson on the next play for a gain of 6. LeGarrette Blount gets the carry on second down and picks up 4, good enough for a Detroit first down at the Miami 30-yard-line.

Johnson picks up 10 yards on a pitch, but Rick Wagner is called for a chop block. That'll be a 15-yard penalty that makes it first-and-25. Stafford hits TJ Jones in the turkey hole for a 26-yard gain that'll move the chains again. It's first-and-10 at the 19.

Johnson carries it for 4 yards on first down. Stafford fakes to Blount, rolls out, and hits Michael Roberts in the end zone for a Lions touchdown.

Lions 7, Dolphins 0 (9:12 1st)

Lions stuff Dolphins on opening drive

The Dolphins have won the toss and elect to receive. Sam Martin's kick is taken for a knee in the end zone. Miami will start from the 25.

Frank Gore gets the carry on first down and is stuffed at the line for a gain of 1 yard. Ricky Jean Francois penetrates the line quickly on a second-down passing play and sacks Brock Osweiler for a loss of 7. Kenyon Drake gets 5 yards on the ground on third down. 

With Jamal Agnew on IR, Golden Tate will be returning punts for Detroit. He gets out to the 36-yard-line on a 9-yard return.

Lions 0, Dolphins 0 (12:48 1st)

Weather

Game time temperature: 89° F

Wind: N 8 mph

Inactives

Detroit: Defensive ends Ezekiel Ansah and Kerry Hyder, running back Theo Riddick, and offensive linemen Andrew Donnal and Joe Dahl are inactive for the Lions.

Miami: Quarterback Ryan Tannehill, safety Maurice Smith, wide receiver Devante Parker and defensive end Charles Harris are inactive for the Dolphins.

The Detroit Lions take aim at their third victory in a 1 p.m. matchup against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday. Follow the action here with live updates throughout the game by Nolan Bianchi of The Detroit News.

LIONS VS. DOLPHINS

Kickoff: 1 p.m. Sunday, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens

TV/radio: Fox/760

Records: Lions 2-3, Dolphins 4-2

Line: Lions by 3

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