Miami taking a different approach against Texans

DAVIE — The Miami Dolphins will play a Thursday night road game for the fourth consecutive season this week, and they hope improved planning can deliver a better outcome against the Houston Texans.

The Dolphins left for Houston on Tuesday, and have a walk-through practice on Wednesday ahead of Thursday’s game.

“Obviously, what we've done the last few years haven't paid off, so we thought there was a good opportunity to change it up,” Gase said on Tuesday morning.

“I talked with some of our players and they thought it was a good idea with how we scheduled it with our workouts, meetings, leaving early to do something different.”

Each of the last three Dolphins’ Thursday night games have resulted in lopsided losses. The Dolphins traveled to those games on Wednesdays.

Under Gase, the Dolphins lost at Cincinnati, 22-7, in 2016 and were blown out in Baltimore, 40-0, last season.

Before Gase joined the Dolphins, they lost, 36-7, at New England under interim coach Dan Campbell in 2015.

The Dolphins (4-3), coming off a lackluster, 32-21, home loss to the Detroit Lions, hope to avoid their fourth loss in five games after a 3-0 start.

“We’re just trying to get our players all the information throughout the week, and have as many walkthroughs as possible, and just keep talking and covering things all the way up to the game,” Gase said.

Parker disapproves: Dolphins receiver DeVante Parker said after Monday night’s practice that he does not agree with the comments his agent made about Gase, and reiterated his desire to remain in Miami.

Parker said he did not expect his agent, Jimmy Gould, to question Gase’s competence following Sunday’s loss to the Detroit Lions, a game which Parker was inactive.

Parker wishes Gould would have consulted with him before making the comments, but added the comments did not put a strain on his relationship with Gase.

“Of course I want to be here. I don’t want to be anywhere else,” said Parker, who is expected to play a major role for the injuryriddled Dolphins on Thursday.

Gase and the Dolphins have said they are not actively shopping Parker before next Tuesday’s trade deadline, but they are reportedly entertaining offers from other teams.

Along with saying he wants to be a Dolphin, Parker added his agent also wants him to continue playing in Miami.

“That’s not the case. He wants me here,” Parker said.

Parker — who has been inactive in five of seven games this season — says he feels 100 percent healthy from a recent quadriceps injury. He also believes he could have helped in Sunday’s game.

“It feels pretty bad because you want to be out there with your teammates having fun,” Parker said. “I just want to be out there and help the guys win. It’s been very frustrating.”

After the game, Gase said Parker was “not completely healthy,” despite Parker being a full participant in practice last week.

Parker’s agent then said Gase “continues attacking the health of my client.”

“I can’t control what people say. He’s a grown man and says what he says. But I can’t control what he says,” Parker said Monday night of his agent’s comments.

“I don’t feel that way about coach though. That’s his opinion.

“It did not make anything awkward,” Parker said. “My relationship is good with him. We’ve talked about it. There are no bad feelings or anything.”

Injury news: Gase ruled out defensive end Charles Harris (calf ) for Thursday’s game, while the Dolphins are taking a waitand-see approach on tight end A.J. Derby (foot).

Gase did not have an injury update on receiver Albert Wilson (hip), who was being evaluated by a doctor on Tuesday morning. Gase and Wilson’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, have said Wilson could possibly miss the rest of this season.

Wilson, Harris and Kenny Stills (groin) did not not travel to Houston for the game.