News from the Dolphins’ final injury report - and the locker room - before the Bills game
The Dolphins listed receiver Jaylen Waddle, running back Raheem Mostert and linebacker Jerome Baker as questionable for Sunday’s game against visiting Buffalo (8:20 p.m., NBC).
All three were limited participants during Friday’s practice.
Mostert and Waddle are dealing with ankle injuries that sidelined them against Baltimore. Mostert also has a knee issue.
Baker has missed the past four games with a sprained MCL but is eligible to come off injured reserve. Mike McDaniel said before Friday’s practice that he is “optimistic” that Baker will be available for Sunday’s game.
Cornerback Xavien Howard (foot) and linebacker Bradley Chubb (season-ending knee injury) are out Sunday. No other Dolphins player on the 53-man roster has an injury designation.
Waddle ran routes on Friday, among other things, after sitting out the Wednesday and Thursday practices.
Asked if there’s a realistic chance he will play Sunday, Waddle said:
“Yeah, there’s always a chance. Got out there, got to move around, having to move around the last couple days, there’s always a chance of going out and competing.”
So is it a good chance or small chance he will play? “There’s a chance,” Waddle said.
Can he cut on the ankle? “Yeah, yeah,” he said.
Is there much pain in the ankle? “No, I’m good, I’m good.”
He was asked about the difficult decision, made in conjunction with team medical staff and coaches, about giving the injury another week to heal before the playoff opener or playing in the most important game of the regular season on Sunday.
Waddle didn’t want to explore that issue in detail. “One day at a time,” he said. “We got daily evaluations honestly.”
Waddle said returning to practice “felt good. It’s always good to go back out there and catch back up with the guys on the field. That’s when we have our deepest conversations, ironically. Hadn’t been out there all week. Got to run a little bit yesterday. Go out there and run some routes and be with the guys.”
Mostert was not available to reporters on Friday.
“I wouldn’t close the door because they haven’t,” McDaniel said of the potential availability of Mostert and Waddle on Sunday.
Baker isn’t eligible to speak to reporters until he comes off injured reserve, but McDaniel said he has had a good week of limited practice participation.
Guard Robert Hunt will return Sunday after missing four games in a row, and most of seven games overall, with a hamstring injury.
Receiver Tyreek Hill also will play Sunday; he returned to practice on Friday after missing Thursday’s practice to deal with the impact of Wednesday’s fire at his Southwest Ranches home.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who has been dealing with a neck injury, said he will play Sunday.
The Dolphins would win the AFC East and be the No. 2 seed if they win or tie on Sunday. Miami would be the sixth seed and open the playoffs at Kansas City if the Dolphins lose to Buffalo.
THIS AND THAT
▪ I asked cornerback Jalen Ramsey (without giving away the game plan) if he has talked to defensive coordinator Vic Fangio about getting himself involved more in Sunday’s game if the Bills try to avoid him all night.
“That’s a question for Vic,” Ramsey said.
Is it is his hope to be involved a lot?
“Yeah, that’s always been my hope,” Ramsey said. “But I’m going to do whatever the team needs me to do regardless of that role at this point in the season.”
Ramsey has traveled with, or shadowed, only one receiver all year: Jets receiver Garrett Wilson, in a 30-0 Dolphins win. Fangio said that he had Ramsey shadow Wilson in that game only because Howard was out.
With Howard out again Sunday, it remains to be seen whether Fangio will have Ramsey shadow Bills Pro Bowl receiver Stefon Diggs, whose receptions and targets have dropped recently. Buffalo No. 2 receiver Gabe Davis also is dangerous.
▪ Waddle, on Sunday’s game: “It’s a division opponent. They’ve owned the division since I’ve been in the league. Haven’t really found success against them. It’s going to be a big game, prime time game. They’re a good team. We’re a good team. Prime time, for all the marbles.”
▪ Waddle, on Tua Tagovailoa being named to the Pro Bowl team this week: “It means a lot. Well deserved. He has been playing great. It’s crazy since I’ve been in the league how [far] he’s come. I’ve always knew what he was capable of. It’s good to see your brother go out and shine and let the whole world know he’s one of the top tier quarterbacks in the league.”
▪ Waddle was wearing a Michigan Wolverines shirt in the locker-room on Friday, a result of losing a bet to Dolphins president and Michigan alum Tom Garfinkel. Michigan beat Alabama in a national College Football Playoff semifinal on Monday.
“Tom G. he got me sadly,” Waddle said. “But it was a good game.”
Is it painful wearing that Michigan shirt?
“It is,” Waddle said. “Roll tide.”
▪ Liam Eichenberg’s first career game at center came Oct. 1 against the Bills. He feels better equipped to deal with the job now, after playing seven games at center since then.
“I was in an interesting position my first game,” said Eichenberg, who gave per two sacks that day against Buffalo (per Pro Football Focus). “Obviously I’ve had a couple more games now throughout the season. I think playing them before, you kind of have a better understanding. I’ve played them at guard, played them at tackle.
“The first game [with Buffalo] was at center and it was just new. For me, it’s now having a better understanding of the personnel they have.”
Having Hunt next to him “will be good. He’s a guy that has experience. He played at such a high level. It’s exciting to have him back.”
One priority for Eichenberg Sunday: “We need to be efficient getting to the line, getting to the ball, ID-ing everything. The longer I take is going to hurt us more. I need to get to the line quickly and get set and get everybody on the same page.
“Communication needs to be on point. That’s the biggest thing when you play great teams. It comes down to the details.”
This story was originally published January 5, 2024 at 3:59 PM.
