MIAMI, Fla. – The Detroit Lions jumped out to a 17-7 lead over the Miami Dolphins at halftime of their NFL battle amid the Sunday afternoon heat and humidity at Hard Rock Stadium.
Despite having a worse record and playing on the road, the Lions entered the contest as 2 1/2-point favorites. That was due chiefly to Miami starting quarterback Ryan Tannehill being ruled out of the game due to a right shoulder injury, and being replaced by backup signal-caller Brock Osweiler.
Detroit put together a scoring drive on its very first possession, culminating in a 15-yard TD pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford to tight end Michael Roberts for a 7-0 advantage with 9:12 showing on the clock. That margin stood until the initial break.
In the second stanza, the Lions went up 10-0 on a 29-yard field goal by Matt Prater at the 12:34 mark. But the Dolphins responded with a lengthy drive that produced a 5-yard scoring pass from Osweiler to Kenny Stills for a score of 10-7 with 7:30 left until intermission.
Detroit retaliated with a big drive of its own that ended on a 2-yard scoring run up the middle by LeGarrette Blount for a 17-7 edge with 1:02 showing on the clock, which stood until the break.
The Lions were coming off their bye week with a 2-3 record. Next up for Detroit will be a home date at Ford Field against the Seattle Seahawks at 1 p.m. next Sunday.
The Dolphins brought a 4-2 record into the game. Miami faces a short week and will be right back in action on Thursday night when it visits the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium.