BY DAN BEGNOCHE
The Miami Dolphins' offensive line play was a big reason they came into Sunday's game with a 5-3 record. Now, they need to figure out how to right the ship after losing arguably the strongest piece of that unit for the season.
Dolphins left tackle Branden Albert left Sunday's game with a knee injury in the second quarter and did not return, and early reports are saying the injury could be season-ending. The 30-year-old was signed to a five-year, $46 million contract prior to this season.
Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel tweeted a picture of Albert after the game on crutches.
Miami's offense struggled to stay on the field late in the second half after taking a lead, and the Detroit Lions were able to claw back and score with less than a minute to go to seal a 20-16 win. Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford led the Lions' offense on an 11-play, 74-yard drive that ate up nearly three minutes of crucial time late in the game and left a last-second comeback by the Dolphins all but impossible.
Even after losing Albert, Miami's line played extremely well against the league's No. 1 defense, allowing only three sacks against a unit that came in with the fifth-most in the league (24). Their rushing game was stifled by the Lions' strong play, however, as Miami ran for only 50 total yards on 19 attempts.
Quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw for 201 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the loss.
Rookie Ja'Wuan James replaced Albert after the injury, and he'll likely fill in for the veteran if he misses an extended period of time.
