Dire injury situation reason for deep concern
MIAMI GARDENS — I picked the Dolphins to finish with a 10-7 record this season. For that to come true, Miami would have to lose three of its last four games.
That’s still very possible. I think it’s more realistic, however, that the Dolphins, who are 9-4 after Monday’s ugly loss to Tennessee, will finish 11-6, splitting their last four games.
I see the Dolphins defeating the New York Jets at home on Sunday, losing to Dallas at home on Christmas Eve, losing at Baltimore on New Year’s Eve, and beating Buffalo at home in the Jan. 7 finale.
I still see the Dolphins winning a playoff game.
Here’s the caveat: I’m worried about the injury situation.
I’m a bit beyond normal late-season worry. I’ve crossed into “this could cost you a victory” worried.
“We’re setting a PR (personal record) here for my tenure,” Mike McDaniel said of the injury situation.
If you’re ever going to apply the “That’s so Dolphins” tag on this team, it might be because they’ve kept quarterback Tua Tagovailoa healthy but now they’re springing injury leaks everywhere else.
Injuries affected strategy last week. Things change dramatically offensively when you don’t have wide receiver Tyreek Hill and four starters on the offensive line.
Things change fairly significantly defensively when you don’t have safeties Jevon Holland and DeShon Elliott on the Titans’ final two possessions.
You saw how the Hill left ankle injury limited Miami’s offense in Monday’s loss. Miami’s offense scored two touchdowns, and both were gift-wrapped considering a special teams turnover and a defensive turnover gave them the ball at the Titans’ 7- and 12-yard lines.
Hill is the No. 1 injury concern.
Hill, as you might have noticed, is a 5-foot-10 ball of muscle, speed and determination. The guy is a true baller.
I have a feeling he’ll be good enough to be fairly effective against the Jets.
By the way, I picked the Dolphins to beat the Jets. If Hill isn’t effective, I could easily see the Dolphins losing. He’s that important.
But let’s go beyond Hill.
The offensive line, my favorite unit on the team, is on the brink of injury disaster. It was missing four starters last game.
“Next man up” only goes so far. The offensive line, which is so thin the Dolphins had to sign center Jonotthan Harrison on Wednesday, must go four more regular-season games plus playoffs without another major injury. The recent trend says there’s no way that happens.
Fortunately, Miami is used to making offensive line adjustments.
The Dolphins’ projected starting offensive lines have played two games together during the McDaniel era, one game each season.
The Dolphins used their ninth starting combination against Tennessee.
They’ll likely employ their 10th starting combination against the Jets.
Here’s hoping the pass protection, which allowed five sacks against Tennessee, is good enough. Miami is 0-4 when it allows three or more sacks this season.
Then there’s the defense. The defensive 1-2 punch of losing edge rusher Jaelan Phillips (Achilles) and inside linebacker Jerome Baker (knee; can return for Buffalo) is a tough blow.
But having hard-hitting safeties Jevon Holland (knees) and DeShon Elliott (concussion protocol) recently slowed adds another complication level for the defense.
The Dolphins have been careful to manage their injury situation so that they don’t limp into the playoffs such as they did a year ago.
It was working effectively until the last three weeks when Phillips, Baker, Holland, right guard Robert Hunt and center Connor Williams missed games.
Phillips and Williams are out for the season, Baker is out until Buffalo, at the earliest, and Hunt, who missed the Tennessee game, seems doubtful for this week. He wouldn’t have practiced Thursday. Holland, who has missed the last two games, seems questionable for this week. He would have been limited for Thursday’s practice.
Plus, rookie running back De’Von Achane, who has already missed five games due to injury, has an ankle injury. He wouldn’t have practiced Thursday. Because of the short week, the Dolphins had a walkthrough on Thursday instead of a normal full practice and released estimations of what players’ status would have been had it been a full session.
Cornerback Xavien Howard has a hip injury. He’d have practiced on a limited basis Thursday. And Eichenberg, who left Sunday’s game wearing a walking boot on his right foot, has a calf injury. He wouldn’t have practiced Thursday.
Injuries are sometimes an explanation, not an excuse.
The Dolphins, under the tandem of general manager Chris Grier and coach Mike McDaniel, have built quality depth the last two years.
They were at their quality depth limit last year when they entered the playoffs.
They might exceed their limit this year during the regular season, possibly even this week, and be over the limit for the playoffs.
Things are approaching the dire level.
“It’s kind of that stage of the season and when you play with effort and strain like our guys do, that comes at a cost,” McDaniel said, “so you have to balance it out.”
The Dolphins have enough talent to win a playoff game.
Here’s hoping they’ll be able to put enough winning talent on the field for that playoff game, and for their four remaining regular-season games, starting Sunday with the Jets.