The Dolphins have two joint practices vs. the Lions. Here are three key matchups

Miami Herald

6 days ago

The Detroit Lions will certainly test the Miami Dolphins.
For starters, they're extremely physical, something the Dolphins could stand to handle better. Then there's their talented position groups — specifically at wide receiver, tight end and defensive end — that can certainly challenge Miami offensively and defensively.
But as much as fans want to make Wednesday and Thursday's joint practices about individual matchups, Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel stressed the importance of a collective effort.
'The National Football League is delivered to us as individual entrepreneurs,' McDaniel said Tuesday, explaining that the many tend to focus on the big names. 'Realistically, what wins and loses are collective bodies of people moving in unison.'
'I'm trying to see guys overlap technique, play to responsibilities and do their job and having 10 guys execute their jobs so one guy can make a play,' McDaniel continued.
Still, the individual matchups are still noteworthy. How left tackle Patrick Paul fares against Aidan Hutchinson, one of the best edge rushers in the league, will be particularly noteworthy. Paul has been an absolute menace in training camp, besting some of the Dolphins' top edge rushers in Bradley Chubb and Chop Robinson.
Hutchinson, however, presents a different problem. The former Michigan standout had 11.5 sacks and a league-high 29 quarterback hurries in 2023. And while a broken leg limited his 2024 season to just five games, Hutchinson has already drawn comparisons to a future hall of famer in training camp.
'It's like Aaron Donald back in the day,' Lions quarterback Jared Goff said Monday during an appearance on 97.1 The Ticket. Goff played his first five seasons along Donald, a 10-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle. 'It's the same way. He's a guy who can ruin a game, he's certainly ruined practice for us a couple times offensively, and I'm so happy he's on our side and I don't have to play against him.'
As far as the defense is concerned, pay attention to how the Dolphins limit star tight end Sam LaPorta and the elite receiving duo of Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams.
Think back to 2024 and you likely remember that the NFL's top tight ends gashed the Dolphins. The Arizona Cardinals' Trey McBride collecgted 124 yards. The Las Vegas Raiders' Brock Bowers went for 126 yards plus a touchdown. And the San Francisco 49ers' George Kittle added another 106 yards.
'Everybody just has to play a little tighter in zone,' inside linebacker Jordyn Brooks said of the Dolphins' issues in limiting top-tier tight ends in 2024. 'A lot of their pass attempts came when we're in zone and they're finding those little zone soft spots. Sometimes you just got to do a good job of tackling if they get those. When we're manned up on these tight ends, we have to play with good leverage.'
LaPorta could potentially do similar damage. A big-bodied tight end who has grown into one of Goff's favorite red-zone targets, the one-time Pro Bowler has the most catches for a tight end through his first two seasons in NFL history.
'What makes Sam so good is very good hands,' St. Brown said. 'He catches everything. Great routes. He's sneaky fast — I think guys don't really realize how fast Sam is. He's like a running back playing tight end that's 6-4, 250. His run-after-catch is some of the best on the team.'
Dolphins linebackers, however, have been pretty solid in coverage. Willie Gay Jr. has gotten several pass breakups throughout practice while starters Tyrel Dodson and Brooks individually flashed their coverage chops during Sunday's preseason matchup against the Chicago Bears.
'They put us in position to make those plays,' Gay said of Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver's scheme. 'We're dropping back in all kind of zones — over three, in the middle of the field, flats. It gives you the opportunity to deflect a pass and intercept them. That's what we want to do, but this defense is schemed just for that.'
Hopefully the Dolphins' cornerbacks feel the same way facing one the league's most talented receiver duos in St. Brown and Williams. The cornerback unit, led by undrafted second-year player Storm Duck, has fared well in practice vs. Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Still, Miami's corners haven't faced two receivers like St. Brown and Williams.
St. Brown is a solid route-runner who excels with the ball in his hands. He's also the only active wideout to amass 100 catches and 10 receiving touchdowns in back-to-back seasons since 2023.
Williams, however, is known for his speed. One year removed from his first 1,000-yard season, the former Alabama standout can stretch defenses with his downfield playmaking ability.
'Every single one of them does something different,' cornerback Isaiah Johnson said. 'It's about preparing for that and knowing how to shut each part of their game down and forcing them to do something different.'
With two joint practices against the Lions, the Dolphins will certainly have their fair share of opportunities to prove they are one of the best teams in the NFL. Although injuries decimated their defense in 2024, the Lions still managed to secure the No. 1 seed in NFC. It will be quite telling if Miami manages to limit a team of the Lions' caliber.