COVID-19 and a cross-country flight: An inside look at Miami Dolphins’ ‘crazy week’
The Miami Dolphins held off Kyler Murray and COVID-19 in the same weekend.
Five Dolphins coaches and one player were held out of Sunday’s game either for testing positive for coronavirus or being in close proximity with someone who has.
But worries of a potential outbreak within team headquarters seem to have abated, particularly after all of the tests administered to players on the Dolphins’ active roster Saturday came back negative.
“It was a crazy week,” Dolphins center Ted Karras Sunday evening said before boarding a charter for the four-hour flight back to South Florida.
Crazy — yet successful. The shorthanded Dolphins put together a spirited performance to beat the host Cardinals 34-31.
And the best news: Lynn Bowden Jr. remains the only Dolphins player on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Five assistants, including at least one who has tested positive, were forced to miss Sunday’s game due to the league’s coronavirus protocols: Gerald Alexander (defensive backs), Robby Brown (quarterbacks), Austin Clark (outside linebackers), Marion Hobby (defensive line) and Kolby Smith (quality control).
And yet those allowed on the sidelines didn’t seem to miss a beat.
The Dolphins had no delay of game or substitution penalties Sunday.
And Tua Tagovailoa had his best game as a pro — even without Brown’s help.
Dolphins tight ends coach George Godsey filled in for Brown and stayed by Tagovailoa’s side basically from the second Tua came off the field after each possession.
“We’re not going to disclose any of the medical information on the coaches,” Dolphins coach Brian Flores said. “We just got to follow the protocols and the guidelines. [Athletic trainer] Kyle Johnston, [team vice president] Brandon Shore, those guys have been on top of it the last couple of days. ... We have a lot of good people here. I have a lot of appreciation for those people. Medical staff, strength and conditioning, operations staff. We have a lot of good people here. It’s important to everyone. That’s what we’re trying to build, that team atmosphere, that kind of camaraderie. I’m proud of those group. I’m proud of this team.”
When asked if he’s concerned that the Dolphins have a COVID-19 outbreak within the organization, Flores responded:
“We’re going to follow the protocols and guidelines set forth by the league. ... [Johnston and Shore have] really been transparent and honest. Nothing is more important than the health of this team. Those are the conversations that are had with the league and the front office people. ... We all know there’s a pandemic. The numbers are going up on a daily basis. I’ve said it, you guys have heard me say it. You can wear the mask, distance. It spreads in the air. We’re going to do our best to mitigate any risk. We’re just going to follow the lead of Dr. [Allen] Sills.”
This story was originally published November 8, 2020 at 9:10 PM.
