Chubb, who led the Dolphins with 11 sacks this season and leads the league with six pressured fumbles, performed reverse fellow elite pass-rusher Jaelan Phillips for many of the season. Phillips went down with a non-contact soccer damage in opposition to the New York Jets in a Week 12 Miami street victory and will not play once more till coaching camp.
Howard, in the meantime, will likely be sidelined for Miami’s sport at dwelling in opposition to Buffalo on Sunday, with the winner incomes the AFC East title, the No. 2 seed and a house sport within the first spherical of the playoffs.
Nobody is responsible for the mounting variety of gamers on the IR though Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel needs to take the brunt of it.
“I imply, in hindsight, I might completely not have needed him (Chubb) on the market if I might’ve recognized that he was going to get harm,” McDaniel mentioned, per ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques. “The gamers needed to return in and play and end the best manner heading into [the game against Buffalo]. And I’ve the flexibility to inform them no on every part on this state of affairs.”
The state of affairs would not get any simpler. Though the Dolphins nonetheless have one of their best defenders in Andrew Van Ginkel, will probably be more and more tough for this staff to stress the quarterback with out Chubb.
In compiling a 9-2 report in opposition to Miami, Buffalo QB Josh Allen has handed for 3,004 yards and 31 touchdowns, per StatMuse.
“I’ve performed effectively in opposition to them up to now, but it surely doesn’t imply I’m gonna play effectively in opposition to them this week except I put together effectively and work laborious in observe and get on the identical web page as receivers,” Allen mentioned, per Katherine Fitzgerald of The Buffalo News.
The Dolphins have survived multiple major injuries this season, however it is a staff constructed to make a run on the Tremendous Bowl now. Miami is already $38M over the wage cap for 2024 and might want to beef up a severely depleted offensive line.
Miami can restructure, minimize and maneuver as a lot because it needs, however it’s a staff that has not prolonged QB Tua Tagovailoa or defensive deal with Christian Wilkins, who has had a monster yr. This roster is the fruits of years’ price of strikes, scouting, observe, laborious work and, sure, some luck.
Each staff has a restricted window to compete at a excessive stage till contracts, accidents, teaching adjustments and extra transfer a staff in a brand new route. The Miami window closed a very good quantity with that loss to Baltimore.
The Dolphins might do themselves a favor and win Sunday. If they do not, they should go on the street within the postseason and can most certainly find yourself going to work on constructing a brand new window this offseason.
