Could change help Dolphins line? Eichenberg updates where he stands. And Hill wrist news
Liam Eichenberg, who has started for the Dolphins all season at right guard, said Thursday that he’s unsure if he will retain his starting spot when Miami plays visiting San Francisco on Sunday (4:25 p.m., CBS).
“I’m not sure right now; obviously the last game didn’t go as planned,” Eichenberg said after he was called for two penalties and graded out poorly in the 20-12 loss at Houston. “There are certain things I can control. And obviously I didn’t play well enough. If they want me out there, I’ll be out there. If not, it is what it is. I’ll just keep working to improve.”
What happened in the Houston game? “I think there’s a lot of things,” he said. “I could have run blocked a lot better. I could have kept my hands [in better position when trying to stop a] pass rush; that’s probably the biggest thing.”
If Eichenberg loses his starting job, the Dolphins guard options would be veteran Isaiah Wynn (who thrived as a starter at left guard last season before a quadriceps injury) and rookie Andrew Meyer.
Robert Jones has been the starting left guard.
Among 75 qualifying NFL guards, Pro Football Focus rates Jones 58th and Eichenberg 70th this season.
Per PFF, Jones has yielded four sacks and 23 pressures, while Eichenberg has relinquished two sacks and 24 pressures.
Eichenberg, who has dealt with a shoulder injury all season, said “The biggest thing for me is I wish I could have been healthier the whole year. There are things I’ve dealt with the whole year that have affected how I’ve played at times. I’m proud of what I’ve done out there. At times, there are issues I wish I could have avoided.”
Wynn — who has played every offensive line position except center during his NFL career — was Miami’s starting left guard to start last season but hasn’t played since injuring a quadriceps in a Week 7 game at Philadelphia 14 months ago. He was activated three weeks ago but hasn’t appeared in a game.
Does he feel rust?
“Feeling pretty good, feeling pretty confident,” he said Thursday. “Still have work to do. Taking every rep as a game rep. Still got a ways to go.”
Getting a chance to play “would mean a lot,” he said. “Any way I can help the team anyway possible.”
Eichenberg said Wynn is “a great player, has good foot speed. If he’s out there or whoever is out there, I think they’ll do a great job.”
The Dolphins have gone from averaging 5.0 per carry last season (best in the league) to 3.9 this season (second worst). When asked this week how that happened, coach Mike McDaniel gave a long answer, which included this:
“If you take it on surface value, it can be pretty confusing…. I’m very hesitant to just saying ‘It’s this.’... But when your line of scrimmage is violated to the point you have some turnover football, that you have some hits on the quarterback and you’re not able to stay on the field as long as you want, you have to figure out a way to reestablish the line of scrimmage and that problem is not going anywhere until we solve it. I think it’s very convoluted; there’s a lot of variables when you just flatline say, ‘It’s the same guys, what’s the difference?’
“I think you have to look at the independent plays where the failures are and what are the consistent failures. Last game I thought we weren’t nearly where we needed to be at the point of attack, how to engage blocks, our leverages and staying attached to players. I think we have pressing so that when we do have an advantage on the defense, we’re getting holding calls left and right – probably threefold to what we had last year. It’d be interesting if guys choose to have their hands inside and fit the blocks well so they are not getting called for holdings and those holdings don’t occur, what is our yards per carry then? I think that has something to do with it as well.”
And McDaniel cited another factor: “We haven’t done a good enough job executing in the run game,... since Austin Jackson left, and that’s been a focus of ours because he’s a very good player at the point of attack.”
Hill update
Receiver Tyreek Hill, who has dealt with a wrist injury all season, said he will finish out the season even if the Dolphins are eliminated from playoff contention.
He said he’s leaning against offseason surgery on the wrist but hasn’t made a final decision.
▪ If Denver beats the Chargers on Thursday night, then Miami could not be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss Sunday.
If the Chargers lose Thursday, Miami would make the playoffs by winning their final three games and with one Colts loss and with one more Chargers loss (at New England or at Las Vegas).
This story was originally published December 19, 2024 at 4:01 PM.
