Dolphins list Armstead doubtful, five questionable. And personnel notes, emerging theme
A six-pack of Dolphins notes on a Friday:
▪ The Dolphins listed left tackle Terron Armstead as doubtful and right tackle Kendall Lamm as questionable for Sunday’s game at Houston (1 p.m., CBS).
Mike McDaniel said he was optimistic Lamm would play Sunday, pending how Friday’s practice went. Lamm said he got through the practice without any setback.
Could he play at the standard he expects with the back injury? “It wouldn’t be the easiest thing,” he said, adding that he might take a shot “and see how it feels.”
At left tackle, Patrick Paul is expected to replace Armstead, who the Jets game after five snaps because of a knee injury that has bothered him for weeks. Jackson Carman could fill in at right tackle if Lamm is unable to play.
Besides Lamm, four other players were listed as questionable: linebackers Bradley Chubb and Cameron Goode (who are on the physically unable to perform list), long snapper Blake Ferguson (who is on the non-football injury list) and receiver Grant DuBose (who is on injured reserve).
McDaniel suggested that Chubb’s return from the Dec. 31 knee injury is more likely next week than this week. Friday was Day 11 for the 21-day practice windows for Chubb, Goode and Ferguson.
▪ McDaniel said DuBose is ready to play after an early season shoulder injury, but he wasn’t sure if he would be activated this weekend. Receiver Dee Eskridge (knee) was the only Dolphins player on the 53-man roster who was ruled out for Sunday’s game.
Friday’s release of Odell Beckham Jr. and Eskridge’s injury leave the Dolphins with four healthy receivers on the 53-man roster: Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Wadde, Malik Washington and River Cracraft.
Cracraft, who didn’t play last week, said, “I’m excited to potentially have an opportunity. We’ll see what happens.”
Running back Raheem Mostert, who missed last Sunday’s Jets game with a hip injury, doesn’t have an injury designation and will play Sunday. Several others dealing with injuries — receivers Hill and Waddle, fullback Alec Ingold and linebacker Jordyn Brooks — also will play Sunday.
▪ Defensive lineman Calais Campbell wants to play as much as he can, but the team will continue to monitor his snaps because of his age (38). He played more than 60 percent of the snaps against the Jets after falling under that threshold four weeks in a row.
“There are a few times there are critical moments where I want to be on the field” but Campbell and the coaches ask themselves “can I be effective on the last drive of the game” if he plays a particular series earlier.
With Beckham Jr. being granted his release on Friday, does Campbell expect to remain with the Dolphins all season if they fall out of contention? “As long as we are staying competitive with the playoffs, the position is the same” of wanting to be here, he said. “I feel my role is to put us in position” to make the playoffs.
▪ A week after he wasn’t used in a key goal-line sequence in Green Bay, Hill played a season-high 70 of the Dolphins’ 72 offensive snaps against the Jets. He had played more than 90 percent of the offensive snaps only once before this season — in the 30-27 loss at Buffalo, when he played 59 of 61 snaps.
“I feel like I can do it,” Hill said of that large a workload. “I train myself the whole entire offseason just for moments like that. I want to be that player that can stay in the game, motion all the way across the field, run all the way down the field and continue to play.
“That’s kind of how I’ve been my whole career even dating back whenever I was in Kansas City. Not only I’m a fast guy, but I’ve got a lot of endurance that can play a lot of snaps and go in and block and do a whole lot of things, so I kind of enjoy doing stuff like that.”
▪ Miami is 0-4 and has been outscored by 58 points in its four games against teams currently in playoff position (two losses to Buffalo, a loss at Green Bay and a loss at Seattle).
If you’re looking for common themes in those losses, run defense has been the biggest shortcoming.
Seattle ran for 100 yards on 4.3 per carry against Miami, while Green Bay rushed for 114 yards on 4.6 per carry. The Bills ran for 108 (4.2 per rush) and 94 (4.9 per rush) in their two wins against the Dolphins this year.
On the flip side, Miami ran very well in both games against Buffalo this season but poorly against Seattle (65 yards, 3.6 per carry) and Green Bay (39 yards, 2.8 per carry).
▪ Earlier this season, defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver warned reporters not to “sleep on Elijah Campbell.”
Campbell has begun receiving some defensive snaps — 12 the past two past games. He’s usually playing alongside Jevon Holland and Jordan Poyer.
“There are a few packages I’m in,” he said. “It’s all about the game plan that week and what looks we’re getting. I feel I’ve earned a spot to play but we have so many talented players.”
This story was originally published December 13, 2024 at 4:21 PM.
