Hip injury ends Wilson’s season
DAVIE The Miami Dolphins will be without their most explosive offensive weapon for the rest of the 2018 season.
Dolphins receiver Albert Wilson will be placed on injured reserve prior to Thursday’s game, according to a league source, effectively ending his first season with the team.
Wilson will not require surgery for a hip injury he suffered in Miami’s loss to the Detroit Lions last Sunday, but the move to injured reserve will give him time to recover.
“Thank you God. No surgery needed! The comeback will be real!!” Wilson posted from his Twitter account Tuesday evening after he was evaluated in the morning.
Dolphins coach Adam Gase on Monday shared a disheartening conversation he had with Wilson before Wilson left Hard Rock Stadium at halftime following his injury.
“[Wilson] was like ‘I was one step away from taking it to the house,’ ” Gase said.
“I’m like ‘I wish you would’ve because you wouldn’t be in the position you’re in right now.’ ”
The Dolphins had early indications Wilson would be out for the rest of the season, but now it’s a harsh reality.
They must move forward without their most exciting offensive playmaker with limited numbers at the receiver position.
Wilson will become the ninth Dolphins player placed on injured reserve this season, but will not be able to return after 8 weeks. The Dolphins have already designated their allotted two players, center Jake Brendel and linebacker Mike Hull, to return from injured reserve this year.
Wilson was injured when he caught a 25-yard pass from quarterback Brock Osweiler with Lions defensive back Jalen “Teez” Tabor as the last obstacle keeping him from scoring his fifth touchdown of the season.
As Tabor made a move for Wilson’s legs, Wilson tried to step over Tabor’s grasp but tripped and hyperextended his right leg.
“I hate that my brother went down,” receiver Jakeem Grant said of Wilson, a player he has become close friends with.
“It hurts. But we have to keep going.”
Wilson, a Fort Pierce native and offseason acquisition, has been the center of several highlight moments of the Dolphins season.
Wilson scored his first touchdown of the season, a 29-yard catch, against the New York Jets in Week 2, and called for his offensive teammates to pose for photos in the end zone.
One week later against the Oakland Raiders, Wilson threw a 52-yard pass to Grant, then gave Grant a high five while breaking free for a 75-yard touchdown that sealed Miami’s 3-0 start to the season.
“His personality definitely sparks this offense. His play also speaks for itself,” running back Kenyan Drake said. “We wish him nothing but the best.”
Wilson became a vital piece in the Dolphins’ game plan against the Lions after his performance against the Chicago Bears in Week 6, where he turned two short passes into 43- and 75-yard touchdowns in an overtime win.
Gase and offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains have praised Wilson for having speed paired with the lower-body build of a running back, which makes him difficult to tackle.
Against the Lions, Wilson lined up for a play behind the line of scrimmage as a running back and executed a jet sweep that he also nearly broke for a long run.
Wilson’s big-play ability was the catalyst that often sparked Miami’s stagnant offense or bailed out its defense early this season.
“As soon as he gets the ball, he’s trying to go to the end zone,” linebacker Jerome Baker said. “That’s a major, major blow. He’s a helluva player that brings energy and playmaking ability, and it’s unfortunate he’s going to be out.”
Wilson’s charisma and electric play was instrumental in the unselfish play the Dolphins got from him, Grant, Kenny Stills and Danny Amendola at the receiver position this season, Gase said.
“Nobody cared who was getting the ball, it was all about how we are getting in the end zone,” Gase said. “[Wilson’s injury] is hard because you’re trying to figure out what’s next, how do we replace that, where do we go, how are we going to move things around?”
Gase will be tasked with answering that question, while the Dolphins players will undoubtedly miss Wilson’s presence.
“Albert is a great player, man,” Amendola said. “He brings a lot to our team, and he’s a great teammate. He’ll be back. He’s a tough player.”
Hopkins on Dolphins: ‘Who’s Xavien Howard?’ with his physicality.
“I see he likes to push off a lot,” Howard said of Hopkins, who is third in NFL with 707 receiving yards, fifth with 47 catches and 11th with four touchdowns.
“He likes to get physical. That’s going to be part of his game. He can make some hell-of-a-catches.”
Howard, the Dolphins’ budding star cornerback who leads Miami with three interceptions and five pass deflections, believes he can match Hopkins’ physicality. “Oh, yeah. I’m a physical corner. It comes with it.”
Howard was not in the Dolphins locker room on Tuesday, shortly before the team left South Florida for Houston.
DAVIE — Houston Texans star receiver DeAndre Hopkins had a simple response for Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard’s claim Hopkins pushes off on opposing defenders.
“Who’s Xavien Howard?” Hopkins said bluntly to reporters in Houston on Tuesday.
Hopkins and Howard will face off on when the Dolphins visit the Texans, adding to the anticipation for the Thursday night matchup.
Howard, a Houston native excited for the homecoming, said Monday that Hopkins has a knack of creating space on receivers