Lions look to overcome injuries against Miami in Week 9

It was a bittersweet victory for the Lions last week against the Vikings, overcoming their captain going down with an injury and improving to 5-2 on the year. Today, they hit the road and look to win their fourth in a row against the Dolphins. Coming up on Lions Game Day Live, we're coming to you from South Florida, getting you ready for this one. We'll have three things to watch for. Check in with Dan Campbell on the coach's scouting report, plus sit down with Jameer Gibbs, who talked about Jack Campbell, Sione Vaki, and yes... Who would win a race between him and Jamison Williams? Speaking of Jamo, we'll head back to Ford Field and that win over Minnesota in Wired for Sound. Jennifer Hammond sat down with rookie defensive lineman Derek Moore and Woody Woodruff wondered about a lot of things with Amon-Ra St. Brown. Who would you not want sitting next to you on a 10-hour flight or perhaps an 8-hour and 20-minute flight to Germany? It's the Lions and Dolphins from Miami and we've got you covered on Lions Game Day Live and it all starts right now. Stadium in Miami Gardens, week nine in the National Football League, and the Lions are on the road today. They'll look to make it four straight wins when they take on the Dolphins. We're here to get you ready for it over the next 60 minutes. It is great to have you here with us on a Sunday morning in... Sunny South Florida. Yes, it is. What else is it, Miller? Is it a little humid hammer? Thank you very much. Hammer is our walking weather vane, so update us. I am the barometer. It is quite humid, although I just felt a cloud come in. Lomas and John are providing me with great shade, and I did the wojo. Woj, this is in honor of you. I got the little towel from the hotel to blot us off. Big Lowe, we were sitting over there talking and you're like, man, I don't know how we played in this stuff. We were over there. They have an air conditioned bench that both teams do. And it's wonderful. I got to tell you, that bench is heavenly. But you didn't have that back in your day. And it was aluminum. So it was really, really bad. It was a little bougie right now. There's no overhead back then either for the fans. No, it's going to be interesting. Certainly, that's one of the challenges of coming down here and playing in this weather because it will take a toll on you. John, look, we'll be talking about it throughout this next hour. Tough week for the Lions emotionally with the Jack Campbell situation. And Dan Campbell doing the best he can to navigate it with this team and get everybody in their mindset. Yeah, and look, I mean... Kelvin Shepard references, so did some of the players, like this is the kind of week where you want Dan Campbell as your head coach because the emotional intelligence that he shows, the genuine understanding of what they're going through, and a willingness to sort of let everybody sort of talk about that before they got back to the business of playing football this week. I think they did that. I think they feel good about having done that, but we're going to see. This is not a normal week. I mean, we talk about big game this week, a trap game. This is just not a normal week at all. No, it is not. Reports continue to be good. That's the most important thing for Jack. And if you're watching, man, our thoughts are with you. And I know these guys are going to go out there and play for you today. We'll talk more about that coming up. Amber, there's been an interesting time on the injury front as well as we kind of look at what's going on with this team and what they might have to deal with today. Yeah, and again, I'm going to start like I did last week with who is playing rather than who's not playing. We do expect Amon-Ra St. Brown to be out there. He's been dealing with a rib thing all week long. But early indications and reports this morning are that he is going to be able to give it a go. And that's really important for the Lions offense. This is brought to you by Feiger Law. Of course, we have Mays, Reed, Wanham all ruled out. We knew Kirby wasn't going to play this week, but it still remains to be a positive sign that we see him back at practice. And then getting back to Jack Campbell. He was placed on IR this week. And, of course, the players all week long, their performances in practice in every meeting have been emblematic of their injured teammate. And if there's a guy's work ethic that you want to follow, Jack Campbell is the absolute one. Our Macomb County Veterans Big Picture is all about playing and dedicating this game to Jack. There's no easy way to do this, but you also, you know, you have to, we have to acknowledge it. You know, let's talk about it and make sure we know. But I also know they're not going to, they're not postponing this game. And I know the only way to honor Jack, we know the only way to really honor Jack and what he really wants is to make sure that we're locked in and ready to go. Because otherwise, what just kind of came about, we're throwing it away. So I think we owe it to him, we owe it to all of ourselves to make sure we're locked in and we make the most of this. It's one of those things where, you know, with Jack being out, we have to pick up the slack. As far as the defense, I mean... And I don't want to say next man mentality because, you know, Jack is one of those guys that's irreplaceable. But we know that, you know, that a lot of guys got to step up and a lot of guys have opportunities this week. You got to take advantage of those and make the most of them. Great opportunity for a lot of guys, man. And it's one of those things where there shouldn't be no drop-off. You know, we all are taught to be starters. We're all taught that, you know, if anything happens and you go in, there should be no drop-off and you should be able to go in there and do your job and help us win games. Yeah, and absolutely, the guys that will get more opportunities, Rodrigo, Derek Barnes, of course, both have been very emotional this week. But I saw Derek in the locker room on Saturday, and he said, you know what, this is just all about Jack. They've got that mentality and they're definitely going to be working their tails off today against the Dolphins. Hey Bigelow, without comparing the extent of the injuries, because that's not what we're here to do, but you played with the Mike Utley situation. How difficult is it to clear your mind of what's going on with one of the guys you love who's not with you and is in a hospital? Well, I think at this point, Dan, because the thing you want to do is just know that he's alright. Some of the guys I know have went to see Jack and once you see him, because we did the same with Mike Utley, once we We were able to see him, talk to him, it kind of put us at ease. And like Hammer said, the rest of the season was dedicated to Mike, and I think these guys gonna do the same thing. And remember as well too, the Detroit Red Wings went through a similar situation with Vladimir Konstantinov. They went on to repeat a Stanley Cup champions. Whether or not that was about Vladdy, I feel there was a huge emotional commitment. To continue to play at that level. All right, let's get to three things. Three things we're watching in this game that might indicate to you how it is going. Brought to you by Michigan First Credit Union. And not surprisingly, the first one is what a lot of people have been saying, John, all week. Do it for Jack. Do it for Jack. Do it for 46. And look, it's not to trivialize this at all. Fans can lose sight of how dangerous and scary this game can be. The players never leave. I mean, Lomas, you can speak to that. They live it every day. They live the danger of this game every day. But they also live with Jack every day. I mean, they're family. And so they know how much he loves this game, how much he loves everything that goes into preparing for a game. And playing this game, all out, every play. So the best way they can honor him is to do that. To do that, and that's what they've done all week. You talk about guys like Derek Barnes and Trevor Nowoski, who's really close to Jack. Those guys. They owe it to him, and they've talked about this this week. But so has Kelvin Shepard. I mean, he talked about when the heat was on him earlier this season going into that Arizona game, the guy who was sitting on his couch saying, we're going to do this for you, was Jack Campbell. He means so much to this defense, so much to this team. It's a huge loss, but I think this team is prepared to pick up The slack, so to speak. Expect to see an inspired effort today. Let's get to number two on three things to watch. Lomas, I know this is your house. Drop the hammer. 230 yards rushing against the Vikings last week. You're looking for more. Oh, yeah, rinse and repeat. That's what I want. I mean, you're right about that. You can see it, especially in the second half of that Minnesota game. The front line dominated the run game. And Jahmyr Gibbs, they had lanes to run through. So, I expect to see a lot more of that. You know, this will be. Drew Scruggs, you know, get a whole chance to start and get back in there, so he had to feel a lot more comfortable back there. But I'm expecting the Lions to come in here and run it down their throat. We're not facing a very good defensive front, so I think we can have success. And they're giving up 77% passing completions on defense. You can earn the right to take some shots downfield if you can find a way to get the running game going, and I think that's what they'll be trying to do today is set up that defense Big hitting offense with their run. All right, handle your businesses, number three, on three things to watch. Three things we're watching in this game. Look, here's the bottom line. Whether you're playing for Jack, running the football, bringing that defense and looking for a fourth consecutive game where you're ascending and getting better, you're better than the Miami Dolphins. This, to me, is a briefcase game. You walk into the office, set your briefcase on the desk, open it up, pull your work out, do your work, put your work back in the briefcase, clip it up, and leave. This is a game you should win. The Lions have won three in a row. They're looking to make it four in a row. Somebody asked me the question this week, if you lose this game, does it take away from the Vikings win? Yes, it does. It does. Because you win the games you're supposed to win and maybe go 50-50 on the ones that are 50-50. But listen, you're in the toughest division in football and you're fighting every single week to try to stay up with the other teams. And this is a chance to put up a victory today. So we'll see if the Lions can do that. And that's the thing. Can't lose any ground. I mean, you mentioned it. This is the only division in football that everybody's above 500. Nobody's slowing down. They're setting records for what they have done at a conference and in conference. It's the second-best start through eight weeks in NFL history. And don't forget the up-and-coming weeks that we have. Travel overseas, then you come back with the Thanksgiving, you know, the short weeks coming up. So you're right. This is an opportunity to get in, get out, and try to get some guys healthy. You are in the three games in 11 days that we talk about every single year now, and that's what they're going to be doing. The Lions understand what they have to do to get ready for this one. And then, as you said, you're heading for Munich, where you're going to face a New England team that won't be a picnic. So handle your business today. With a trade deadline thrown in, too, by the way. Yes, this week could be interesting. There's a lot going on. Exactly right. If they get a shot of Brad Holmes today on the phone up there, just try to see who he's talking to. Try to see, oh, what's the return number? Hey, we'll take a break. We'll come right back. We're glad you're with us. It is game day. South Florida Lions-Dolphins coming up. Stick with us.