Three injured starters to miss Sunday’s game
The Dolphins, already talent-depleted and heavy underdogs this week, will be without three starters on Sunday against visiting New England: receiver
Albert Wilson, safety
Reshad Jones and right tackle Julien Davenport.
And Davenport’s absence will be substantially longer. The former Houston Texans player was placed on injured reserve with a hyperextended knee and slight tibia fracture, injuries sustained during practice Thursday. His roster spot was not immediately filled.
Coach Brian Flores said veteran J’Marcus Webb, signed less than two weeks ago, would replace Davenport as the starting right tackle.
The Dolphins can bring two players off injured reserve after eight weeks, which is seven games in Miami’s case this season. Linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel, defensive end
Jonathan Ledbetter and Davenport are the three candidates for those two mid-year return slots.
Meanwhile, Jones was ruled out for Sunday with an ankle injury, and Wilson was ruled out with calf and hip injuries.
That leaves Miami with four healthy receivers on the 53-man roster: DeVante Parker, Jakeem Grant, Preston Williams
and Allen Hurns. Isaiah Ford said he has been given no indication if he will be promoted from the practice squad. The other receiver on the practice squad, TJ Rahming, said he won’t be.
Meanwhile, safety Bobby McCain (shoulder) was limited Friday and listed as questionable, as was linebacker Trent Harris
(foot), who also was limited.
Defensive end/linebacker Charles Harris
(wrist) and center Daniel Kilgore (shoulder) also were listed as questionable but practiced fully Friday.
SOME GOOD NEWS
Even a week which featured an embarrassing 59-10 loss featured some good news for the Dolphins:
Saints kicker Wil Lutz hit a 58-yard field goal to beat Houston as time expired Monday night, a kick that ultimately could raise the value of Miami’s second first-round pick in April’s NFL Draft.
In fact, the difficulty of the Texans’ schedule suggests Miami’s extra 2020 first-round pick — courtesy of the Laremy Tunsil trade — might end up better than thought.
The Texans have at least four very difficult out-ofdivision games remaining: at the Rams, at the Chiefs, at the Ravens and home against the Patriots.
Beyond two games each against AFC South opponents Tennessee, Jacksonville and Indianapolis, the Texans also have potentially challenging games at home against Carolina and Atlanta, plus a Week 16 game at Tampa Bay.
Their other two games are home against Oakland and Denver; they’ll be favored in both of those.
Evan Silva, co-founder of football web site Establishtherun.com, noted on Twitter that “the Texans are good team for fullrebuild #Dolphins to bet against & get picks from. Those picks could land higher in draft than expected.
“Houston has a hard schedule, serious problems all over [its] defense, and [the] OL will still be below average to bad even with Tunsil.”
The Saints had six sacks against Houston on Monday night.
As part of that Tunsil trade, the Dolphins also get Houston’s first- and second-round picks in 2021.
TOO TOUGH?
With Minkah Fitzpatrick joining former Dolphins player Kiko Alonso in making trade requests, is there a broader problem on this team of players wanting out?
“I don’t think so,” McCain said. “If there is, there is. I can’t control it.”
Flores’ program is demanding, and one player cut Labor Day weekend said some players are growing weary of what it’s like to be a Dolphin.
So is Flores’ program too difficult mentally and physically?
“It’s football; if it’s too hard, you wouldn’t be here,” McCain said. “If it’s too hard for you, you can go play [elsewhere]. We want mentally, physically tough players.”
Guard Shaq Calhoun,
●
who went from starting the four preseason games to being inactive in the opener, said that wasn’t difficult to deal with “because I was an undrafted free agent. I’m just glad I’m still here, to be honest with you.”
Though linebacker
●
Raekwon McMillan
played only 22 snaps against New England, he would not complain about his role. He said he naturally wants to play more “as a competitor.”
According to Pro Football
● Focus, rookie defensive tackle Christian Wilkins — Miami’s first-round pick — “didn’t quite get off on the right foot in Week 1. He did manage to record a quarterback hurry and two defensive stops against the run, but he also missed a tackle and was beaten repeatedly at the point of attack.”