Back on the field

LB expected to play Sunday against Saints in London

Dolphins reinstate Timmons; he’ll play this weekend.

Miami Dolphins linebacker Lawrence Timmons, who was suspended indefinitely Sept. 19, three days after going AWOL, has been reinstated to the team and will play Sunday against New Orleans in London.

Timmons, who signed with Miami during the offseason after 10 seasons with Pittsburgh, left the team without explanation the day before their 19-17 victory at the Los Angeles Chargers. He was suspended the following Monday.

Reinstating Timmons, who has five consecutive 100-tackle seasons, means the Dolphins will regain one of the two every-down linebackers the defense has had to play without in the first two games. To make room for Timmons on the roster, the Dolphins waived linebacker Justin March-Lillard.

Timmons, who has averaged 98 tackles a season throughout his NFL career, will likely be paired with Kiko Alonso in the nickel package, and handle the strong side linebacker role.

Chase Allen, an undrafted rookie from Southern Illinois, had been

filling in as Miami’s starting strong side linebacker, and Mike Hull has handled the nickel workload in Timmons’ absence.

Coach Adam Gase on Monday seemed to be OK with Allen’s seven-tackle performance against the New York Jets.

“He did alright,” Gase said, adding, “It’s hard to say anybody really stood out on any phase. Any time you get a younger guy in there, it’s a learning experience. Every week you play, the schemes changes dramatically — run scheme wise most of the time — when you’re on the defensive side.

“One week you’re playing a team that’s outside zone, inside zone or gap scheme — it depends on what their flavor is — and then the next week you see something completely different. It takes time to get used to.”

But the Allen-HullAlonso trio isn’t necessarily ideal for reasons of skill and experience, among others.

Miami entered the preseason wanting rookie Raekwon McMillan to be the middle linebacker flanked by Timmons on the strongside and Alonso on the weakside. But McMillan sustained a season-ending knee injury in his first exhibition game.

That forced the Dolphins to employ a linebackers trio of Timmons on the strongside, Alonso on the weakside and Hull in the middle. In that scenario Hull left the field for the nickel (five defensive backs) defense and Timmons and Alonso stayed.

But Timmons’ absence meant Hull had to switch duties and stay on the field with Alonso in the nickel defense.

In the past two games, the safeties and linebackers have been targeted by Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers and Jets quarterback Josh McCown.

Timmons’ return will also boost Miami’s depth at linebacker, which led to the Dolphins trading a fifthround pick to New Orleans to acquire Stephone Anthony.

Timmons’ teammates have supported the veteran publicly and privately during his absence, so it’s unlikely his return will create ripples inside the locker room.

Gase was asked about Timmons’ status with the team Monday and kept his response brief.

“I don’t have an update for you on that,” he said.

Gase also declined to comment Monday on a report by CBS sports Sunday that Timmons visited a Steelers practice during the season’s opening week, when the Dolphins had their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers postponed by Hurricane Irma. And Gase declined to comment whether that factored into Timmons’ indefinite suspension.

“That’s nothing I can really comment on right now,” he said.

Gase said that executive vice president of football operations Mike Tannenbaum had taken over matters relating to Timmons.

Last Wednesday, Gase was asked whether Timmons would have a chance to re-join the team.

“It’s going to be something that I’m going to keep in-house and I’ll decide on that later” he said.

Gase seemed mostly pleased with the defense’s performance in the 20-6 loss to the Jets. The run defense allowed 103 yards but just 3.0 yards per carry. The pass defense was riddled at times while allowing 233 yards.

“I thought the defense did what they were supposed to do,” Gase said. “They fought as long as they could to keep us in the game. [Their] longest run wasn’t even that long. [It wasn’t like they] had a bunch of explosive runs.

“There’s a couple of things that we want to clean up. I mean for the most part, guys were doing what they were supposed to do.”

Regarding Timmons’ reinstatement, Gase seemed to leave the door open last week by saying all transgressions aren’t unforgivable.

“I think every situation’s different,” Gase said, “and I would say that you can be forgiven if the right steps are taken.”

WILFREDO LEE/AP Linebacker Lawrence Timmons missed two games and will be playing his first regular-season game in a Dolphin uniform Sunday in London.

MATT ROURKE/AP Lawrence Timmons, here returning an interception, has had the support of his teammates in public and in private.