Ricky Jean Francois sparks Lions' pass rush in homecoming

Miami Gardens, Fla. — Sacks surprisingly haven't been an issue for the Detroit Lions this season. The team had 17 through five games and added four more in Sunday's 32-21 victory over the Miami Dolphins.

Unlike many of Detroit's past sacks, which could be attributed to strong coverage in the back end, Dolphins coach Adam Gase said quarterback Brock Osweiler didn't have a chance on the majority of Sunday's takedowns. 

"A lot of times, those sacks, one of them, he probably could have avoided, but the rest of those, it was so fast," Gase said. "He didn’t really have a chance to defend himself."

Detroit's pass-rush pressure had been coming almost exclusively from the edges, so it was good to see veteran defensive tackle Ricky Jean Francois break the narrative against Miami, twice dropping Osweiler with quick and decisive wins from the interior. 

More: Lions' Michael Roberts happy to pick up where he left off

More: Justin Rogers' Lions grades: Almost all A's, B's in key road victory

"I know you guys were excited about the edges," Francois said with a smile after the game. "Now that the interior got (some sacks), y'all can leave us alone."

After his second sack, Francois had an opportunity to bust out his patented and elaborate "Peanut Butter and Jelly" sack dance. The Miami native said it was something they used to do back home. 

"It's a Miami thing," Francois said. "That's why people kept looking at me crazy. If you ain't from Miami, you don't know what I'm going. It may look crazy to you because you're not from around here." 

The sacks were just the 13th and 14th of Francois' 10-year career. It marked the second time he has recorded two in a game, with the other performance coming in 2013. 

jdrogers@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @Justin_Rogers