What final Dolphins injury report reveals. And personnel notes on offensive line, Hill
Whether the Dolphins will get their Pro Bowl cornerback duo back for Sunday’s game against New England remained in question on Friday afternoon.
The Dolphins listed Jalen Ramsey and Xavien Howard as questionable for Sunday’s home game against New England (1 p.m., CBS). Coach Mike McDaniel said Friday afternoon that he had “no clue” whether they would play, with a decision pending.
ESPN reported Thursday night that Ramsey would make his 2023 debut on Sunday, but Ramsey said Thursday night and McDaniel said Friday afternoon that there was no decision on his status for Sunday.
Also listed as questionable for Sunday’s game at Hard Rock Stadium (1 p.m., CBS): running back Raheem Mostert (ankle), center Connor Williams (groin), cornerback Nik Needham (Achilles), safety Jevon Holland (concussion protocol), receiver River Cracraft (shoulder), fullback Alec Ingold (foot) and cornerback Cam Smith (foot). All these players were limited in Friday’s practice.
Receiver Tyreek Hill, who missed Wednesday’s practice with a hip injury, and receiver Jaylen Waddle (who had a back issue during last Sunday’s game) have no injury designation and will play Sunday.
Braxton Berrios missed Friday’s practice for personal reasons but is also expected to play on Sunday.
Among the players listed as questionable, Mostert said his ankle is fine and he will play Sunday. McDaniel said “my gut tells me” that Williams will be active for the Patriots game but said he isn’t sure if Williams will start. Williams has missed three of the past four games with a groin injury.
Ramsey hasn’t played since knee surgery in early August but looked good in practice this week, multiple teammates said. Needham said Ramsey was timed as fast as 21 mph.
Howard missed last Sunday’s Eagles game with a groin strain but said “I’m feeling good. [Sunday] is the goal.”
McDaniel said he would speak with both of those cornerbacks before determining their status.
Holland remains in concussion protocol but appears to be in the late stages. He practiced without a red non-contact jersey on Friday.
If Holland cannot play, Brandon Jones would start alongside DeShon Elliott, just as they did at times as college teammates. Jones and Elliott, who are very close, were Texas Longhorns teammates in 2016 and 2017.
“We’ve been getting a a lot of reps together,” Jones said. “I was joking around with him saying, ‘the Texas boys; the Longhorns are back.’ I asked him a couple days ago, and it’s so long ago, I was like, ‘Did we win when we played together?’ He was like, ‘bro, we were like the best DBs on the field.’ I’m like, ‘you’re right.’”
Jones -- who missed preseason after last October’s ACL injury -- has played sparingly on defense this year. Working with the first-team alongside Elliott in practice this week has been “fun,” Jones said. “We played a lot of two high shells in Texas, played cover 4, cover 8, two high safeties.”
McDaniel said “I’m happy with where” Jones “is at. It’s a system change for him. He continues to get more comfortable.”
Of the players who are questionable, Ramsey and Cracraft are the two still on injured reserve. The Dolphins would need to clear a spot on the 53-man roster to activate them.
The Patriots listed eight players as questionable, including starting offensive tackle Trent Brown and starting cornerback Jonathan Jones.
THIS AND THAT
▪ Left tackle Kendall Lamm - who has started five games and played 82 percent of the Dolphins’ offensive snaps in place of injured Terron Armstead - indicated that starting again has been uplifting, though he didn’t want that to happen as a result of an injury to Armstead or anyone.
“It’s been nice,” Lamm said.
He said that while sitting in his home in Charlotte over the offseason, “I sat and prayed for the opportunity for this, to play and contribute... Clearly, I’ve done something to be undrafted and be sitting here in year nine.”
The Dolphins offensive line has allowed 10 sacks, which entered Week 8 tied for third fewest in the league. The Patriots have 13 sacks, which ranks 25th.
Patriots standout pass rusher “Matthew Judon is not going to be out there, so that changes some things,” Lamm said.
Armstead (knee injury) is eligible to come off injured reserve next week, but it’s unclear if he will.
▪ Though the Patriots limited Hill to a season-low 40 yards receiving in Week 2, keep in mind that the player who defended Hill much of the second half -- Christian Gonzalez -- is now on injured reserve. Hill caught only one pass for eight yards, in four targets, against Gonzalez, who intercepted one of those four targets.
The Patriots also played three safeties much of that game.
Asked about the Patriots’ strategy against Hill and his thought process for Sunday, McDaniel said: “If they are taking away one thing, you’re giving up another thing. If people are going to overplay one thing, you have to be able to execute another. If you really commit, you can put 11 players on one guy. But that leaves other players available, and the structure of the defense a little vulnerable.
“We’ll always have a feature player in our scheme. We’ll always have him involved in some way, shape or form. But when people over-commit to something, other guys have to make plays. That’s the cool balancing act of NFL game day, which is one of the reasons why it’s so fun.”