A blow to O-line: Center Connor Williams out for season
Dolphins center Connor Williams sustained a torn ACL in his left knee against Tennessee and will miss the remainder of the season, coach Mike McDaniel disclosed Tuesday.
Williams, who will be a free agent in March, was hurt after just six offensive snaps Monday.
It’s a devastating loss to Miami’s offense; Williams is an instrumental part of the running game and had allowed only one sack and six quarterback pressures all season, covering 280 pass-blocking snaps. Pro Football Focus rates him the NFL’s best center this season.
“He’s a hell of a player; he’s very important to our offense,” right tackle Austin Jackson said.
Liam Eichenberg, who moved from right guard to center after Williams’ injury, allowed two pressures, had a bad snap that factored into a turnover and committed three penalties.
PFF rated Eichenberg Miami’s second-worst player on offense against Tennessee, ahead of only tight end Julian Hill.
Eichenberg likely will start at center in Williams’ absence but is dealing with “bumps and bruises,” McDaniel said. Miami has two offensive linemen on the practice squad who have college experience at center — Chasen Hines
and rookie Alama
Uluave.
“You might see us add somebody here in the near future” at center, McDaniel said. Among veterans available in free agency: former Pro Bowl centers Ben Jones and Rodney Hudson, who are both 34.
On the 53-man roster, there’s no experienced center beyond Eichenberg, who never played center in an NFL game before this season. Guard Lester Cotton has taken practice snaps at center.
With Terron Armstead and Robert Hunt sidelined Monday and Williams leaving the game early, Miami delivered one of its worst passblocking games of the season, yielding five sacks.
Per PFF, guard Robert Jones permitted two sacks and four pressures, while guard Cotton yielded two pressures. Tackles Jackson and Kendall Lamm (who was filling in for Armstead) each allowed two pressures.
McDaniel said Armstead is “more conceivable” than Hunt to play against the Jets, calling Armstead “day to day” with his ankle and knee injuries.
Meanwhile, the Dolphins are also short-handed at safety.
DeShon Elliott, initially cleared after leaving Monday’s game, reported concussion symptoms later in the game and is in concussion protocol.
Safety Jevon Holland told WQAM-560 that he has been dealing with sprained MCLs in both knees, explaining why he hasn’t played the past two games. He said he’s optimistic about playing Sunday.
The Dolphins signed veteran edge player Melvin
Ingram to the practice squad. He had six sacks for Miami last season but has been out of the league this year.
NOTES BY POSITION
Running back :On offense, Raheem Mostert
played 46 snaps, De’Von Achane 33 and Jeff Wilson Jr. only one. Mostert averaged 4.6 per carry (21 for 96) with two touchdowns. Achane averaged 6.7. Fullback Alec Ingold
played 29 snaps.
Wide receiver: Even with Tyreek Hill limited to 34 snaps because of his ankle injury, Chase Claypool did not play a single offensive snap for the second game in a row. Claypool — who had 873 and 860 receiving yards for Pittsburgh in his first two NFL seasons — has only one reception since being acquired from the Bears in October.
Jaylen Waddle played 59 of Miami’s 72 offensive snaps. Cedrick Wilson
Jr. played 40, Braxton Berrios 33 and River Cracraft 14.
Pro Football Focus rated Wilson, Hill and Waddle as the Dolphins’ top three players on offense against Tennessee.
Tight end: Durham Smythe played 56 snaps and Julian Hill allowed a sack in his 15 offensive snaps.
Defensive line: Christian Wilkins and
Zach Sieler played 62 and 61 of the 71 defensive snaps, and Wilkins continued to extend his careerhigh sack total to 71⁄2.
Raekwon Davis played 20 snaps and Da’Shawn Hand eight.
Outside linebackers: Bradley Chubb played 58 snaps, Andrew Van Ginkel 55, Emmanuel Ogbah 27, Jason PierrePaul 2 and Cameron Goode 1.
Chubb missed a thirddown sack in the second quarter and then drew a 15-yard penalty when he threw his helmet near the sideline in frustration. The 15-yard penalty prolonged Tennessee’s 14-play, 86-yard drive that ended in a touchdown.
Inside linebackers: With Jerome Baker sidelined by a knee injury,
Duke Riley played all 71 snaps and David Long Jr. 63. Long had two tackles for loss against his former team.
Safety: With Holland sidelined and Elliott missing 18 snaps in the second half (concussion symptoms and a rib injury), the Dolphins played backup safeties (Brandon Jones, Elijah Campbell) on Tennessee’s two late touchdown drives.
Jones played all 71 defensive snaps and Campbell 18.
Among the 17 players who logged defensive snaps for the Dolphins, PFF rated Jones sixth, Elliott 15th and Campbell 17th.
Cornerback: Jalen Ramsey played all 71 defensive snaps, Xavien Howard 70, Kader Kohou 62 and Nik Needham 8. Kohou permitted a TD pass; Ramsey yielded 75 passing yards and Howard 77, per PFF.
Kicker: Jason Sanders had a 44-yard field goal blocked and is now 8 for 12 on FGs of 40 yards or more this season.