Waddle the latest key starter injured for Dolphins; Mostert injury minor
Tests confirmed that Dolphins receiver Jaylen Waddle has a high ankle sprain, leaving his status very much in question for Sunday’s game at Baltimore (1 p.m., CBS).
According to the Cleveland Clinic, players can often miss two to eight weeks with high ankle sprains. But Waddle’s injury isn’t on the high end of the severity scale.
“He’s one of the toughest fast guys I’ve ever been around,” coach
Mike McDaniel said Wednesday. “Him being that way, it’s tough to rule him out for this week. It’s a high ankle sprain. It’s not overly severe, but high ankles are tough when you make a living on cutting.”
Waddle — who has 72 receptions for 1,014 yards and four touchdowns this season — has had at least seven injuries this season but has missed only one game. He was not seen at practice on Wednesday.
As for running back
Raheem Mostert — who was limited in the second half of the Dallas game with a leg injury — McDaniel said Mostert has a “bump” on one of his ankles. The coach didn’t sound concerned about his availability for the Baltimore game; he wasn’t seen at practice on Wednesday.
Mostert has played through ankle and knee injuries this season; he played a few snaps in the second half against Dallas after sustaining the injury in the first half.
McDaniel said Mostert “can get away with minimal reps during the week” and still play on Sundays. That’s how we’ll approach it.”
And what about guard
Robert Hunt, who has missed six games this season with a hamstring injury, including three in a row?
“Not quite sure if it’s day to day yet [as opposed to week to week],” McDaniel said. “Feeling like it is ... The dude wanted to play a while ago. But he also doesn’t want to play half a game and miss [the rest].”
Hunt wasn’t seen at practice on Wednesday.
Safety Jevon Holland, who has missed four games in a row with sprained MCLs in both knees, told WQAM-560 on his weekly radio show that he’s hopeful about playing this week but remains “patient.” He did individual drills on Wednesday, which was a progression from last week.
McDaniel said receiver Robbie Chosen remains in concussion protocol and isn’t yet ready to practice but has made good progress. Chosen could be cleared to play this week.
For now, Miami has five healthy receivers on the 53-man roster: Tyreek Hill, Braxton Berrios, Cedrick Wilson Jr., River Cracraft and Chase Claypool.
THIS AND THAT
McDaniel, asked about the narrative that the Ravens are tough and physical and the Dolphins are fast and cute: “We’re pretty good at running the ball and stopping the run.
That’s generally not normally associated with cuteness. I’m very confident in our style of play.”
With a career-high six sacks, Andrew Van Ginkel has compensated for the loss of Jaelan Phillips
to an oblique injury earlier in the season, and now, to a season-ending Achilles injury.
Pro Football Focus rates Van Ginkel sixth among 130 qualifying edge players.
What’s more, Van Ginkel is one of only three players (with Detroit’s Aidan Hutchinson and Pittsburgh’s TJ Watt)
with at least four sacks, five passes defended, one interception, seven tackles for loss and 10 quarterback hits.
As for Chubb, PFF rates him ninth among edge players this season.
“We thrive off each other; we love seeing each other eat,” Van Ginkel said after each had 1 ½ sacks against Dallas.
Since left tackle Terron Armstead joined the team before the 2022 season, Dolphins players have talked about how they appreciate Armstead bringing players to the facility on Tuesdays to help them develop their skills and work on game preparation.
Tuesdays are typically an off day for NFL teams, but Armstead gives structure and mentoring to those who want to work part of the day.
“We get a whole group in here on off days,” Armstead said. “We go out there and we work our technique and go through calls and we simulate games and all those things . ... In practice, you only get so many reps to take that step. So off days and offseason is when you see the most growth.”
What teammate has benefitted the most from those Tuesday sessions?
“We’ve had everybody come in,” Armstead said. “But Rob Jones, Kion Smith. Yeah Kion Smith, that’s my son,” Armstead cracked.
“That’s my oldest. He’s one that I would say the most. He’s not going to miss a day or opportunity to work. But it’s really just that’s how the group is, how our room is. If the guys are feeling well enough to get out there, we go put the work in.”
The Dolphins have allowed only 27 sacks (third fewest in the league) and are averaging a league-high 5.0 yards per rush.