The Detroit Lions enter their Week 9 matchup with heavy hearts and a sense of purpose.A week after the scary injury to linebacker Jack Campbell that landed him in the hospital, the Lions will take the field trying to make No. 46 proud. And they have a pretty good chance to do so against what is, on paper, an overmatched Miami Dolphins team.The Dolphins (1-6) came into the season as a popular pick to finish last in the NFL and have lived up to those expectations so far. Can the Lions (5-2) take care of business and continue their climb up the NFC standings?SCOUTING THE GAME: Best vs. worst?Our Free Press experts make their picks:Dave BirkettIt’s been an emotional week for the Lions, and while there will be a crash to pay for it at some point, I don’t think that happens now. The Lions are a much more talented team than the Dolphins, even with their injury problems, and the history of teams playing for a teammate who suffers a catastrophic injury on the field are clear. The 2022 Buffalo Bills won their next two games after Damar Hamlin went into cardiac arrest on the field; the 2017 Pittsburgh Steelers won three of four after Ryan Shazier’s scary spinal-cord injury; and the 1991 Lions won six straight after Mike Utley was paralyzed. The Dolphins are a scrappy team that’s played a bunch of close games of late, but they don’t have the guns to compete with the Lions. The pick: Lions 35, Dolphins 17Christian RomoThe Dolphins may be better than their 1-6 record indicates and may show some pluck against an ailing Lions defense, but Detroit knows how much it needs to stack wins against lesser opponents, especially in a division as tough as the NFC North. They’ll be prepared, especially if they answer the call to play on behalf of their injured teammate. The pick: Lions 31, Dolphins 24.Rainer SabinThe Dolphins are in the first year of a rebuild under a new coach. Under normal circumstances, the Lions would be expected to whip Miami. After all, they have won three straight games and just knocked off the last undefeated team, Minnesota. But Detroit is dealing with the fallout from the serious neck injury star linebacker Jack Campbell suffered last Sunday. It’s a challenging situation. And while the Lions find a way to overcome the adversity Sunday, they’ll be pushed to their limits before securing a result that will make them – and Campbell – proud. The pick: Lions 28, Dolphins 24.Jeff SeidelThe Lions looked like a true contender in their emotional, gut-check win over the Vikings. So, I don’t expect any kind of letdown against the Dolphins. Especially with the Jack Campbell situation hanging over this squad. Especially with the Lions’ improving defense, not to mention their improving offensive line. Jahmyr Gibbs has rushed for more than 115 yards in the Lions’ last three games, topping 150 in two of them. But the Dolphins are pretty stout against the run, giving up 113 yards per game, which is less than the Vikings (116 yards per game). But that d
