Quarterback A-
Matthew Stafford delivered yet another game-winning drive, taking the Lions 79 yards in 11 plays to snatch the win away from the Dolphins. Before that, it was looking like an average performance for the quarterback, which included great throws like his long touchdown to Calvin Johnson in the first quarter and a number of questionable decisions.
Stafford did throw an interception on a slightly underthrown ball in the first half, but it was more of a remarkable play made by Pro Bowl cornerback Brent Grimes.
RUNNING BACKS: B+
It wasn't the most productive day for the backs, but they did well with their opportunities. Joique Bell and Reggie Bush combined to average well over four yards per carry and the group contributed five receptions for 66 yards.
The Lions did their best to keep Theo Riddick involved, but execution crumbled on the plays called for him until the closing seconds. He had negative yardage on his first five touches before hauling in the game-winning touchdown from 11 yards out.
WIDE RECEIVERS: A
Calvin Johnson topped 100 yards in his return to the lineup, including a long touchdown reception over Grimes, while Golden Tate continued to produce with 11 grabs for 109 yards on 13 targets.
Corey Fuller and Jeremy Ross disappeared, but that's not overly surprising with Johnson at full strength.
TIGHT ENDS: F
The tight ends contributed nothing in the passing game and both Brandon Pettigrew and Kellen Daivs were hit with holding calls.
OFFENSIVE LINE: C+
Dolphins defense end Cameron Wake has a way of getting his. He tallied a pair of sacks, one against starter LaAdrian Waddle and another against backup Cornelius Lucas. The Lions gave up a third sack, when Bush struggled to pick up a blitzing safety, but there was a second, free rusher the line missed.
The run game was better this week as both Bell and Bush averaged over four yards per carry.
A pleasant surprise was the play of Travis Swanson, who was forced into action after Larry Warford suffered a knee injury in the first quarter. The rookie lineman did get busted for a hold, but was otherwise solid.
DEFENSIVE LINE: A
No Nick Fairley, no problem. The front four held the Dolphins' ground game well under three yards per carry while getting eight hits on quarterback Ryan Tannehill, including three sacks.
Ezekiel Ansah and Ndamukong Suh had standout performances, each racking up a sack and two other tackles for a loss. Ansah also forced a fumble.
LINEBACKERS: B
DeAndre Levy had a typical day at the office, racking up double-digit tackles and nearly intercepting a pass in the end zone on a third-down play that forced Miami to settle for a field goal.
Josh Bynes chipped in with a fumble recovery, showing good awareness in traffic after Ansah forced it loose. Ashlee Palmer, still seeing most of the reps at the other outside spot, delivered a half sack coming on a blitz in the second half.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: B+
James Ihedigbo had a monster day. Yeah, he missed a couple tackles, but came up with a 70-yard interception return and broke up another pass, a third-down throw in the end zone.
The rest of the secondary gave up too much cushion to Miami's receivers, allowing Tannehill to complete three-quarters of his attempts.
SPECIAL TEAMS: C-
What a strange day for Detroit's special teams, which included two fake punts, one of which was successful when Sam Martin found Jed Collins for a 24-yard gain across the middle.
Martin's punting wasn't as sharp as one of his efforts traveled just 30 yards and helped set up Miami for a short scoring drive in the third quarter.
Matt Prater made two of his three field-goal attempts, including a 50-yarder, but a 42-yard effort was blocked in the second quarter and led to a Dolphins touchdown.
COACHING: B
What more can we say about defensive coordinator Teryl Austin's ability to get his team prepared? Without Fairley, the front four continued to not only produce, but dominate from the start.
On offense, the Lions attack was balanced and mixed in deep shots, but was still inconsistent. Still, you could see it trending in the right direction with Johnson back in the fold.
And how about the aggressive calls by Jim Caldwell, to fake a pair of punts and go for it on another fourth-and-7? Sure, one of the fakes backfired, but it didn't hurt the team based on field position. It was nice to see him buck his conservative nature, even if for just one day.