Flores addresses McMillan’s drop in snaps. Updates: Hurns, HBO revisiting Bullygate

The Dallas Cowboys trampled the Dolphins on the ground Sunday, rushing for 235 yards on an absurd 6.9 per carry and finished the day with two 100-yard rushers: Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard.

So why did Raekwon McMillan — one of the league’s best run stopping linebackers last December — play on just 21 of Miami’s 72 defensive snaps?

Coach Brian Flores didn’t answer specifically when asked Monday but said “getting him in more is something we’ve talked about. If he has a good week of practice, we’ll take it from there.”

The Dolphins prefer to keep linebackers Sam Eguavoen and Jerome Baker on the field at all time, and that has diminished McMillan’s playing time. Eguavoen and Baker logged all 72 snaps Sunday. Conversely, McMillan has played just 79 defensive snaps all season.

Pro Football Focus said McMillan was the highest-graded player on Miami’s defense on Sunday, with Eguavoen 12th and Baker 18th.

What’s more, PFF ranks McMillan as the second-best linebacker in the league through three weeks, behind only New England’s Jamie Collins.

“Raekwon, we’ve got him in some of the bigger packages,” Flores said. “He’s played well, but I would say Sam and Bake played well also. I’ve got a lot of respect for Raekwon. He’s doing a good job.”

Eguavoen has been playing more than McMillan largely because the Dolphins consider him better in pass coverage. McMillan’s metrics in coverage were second-worst among linebackers in PFF’s grading system last season but he said he worked hard this offseason to improve in that area.

HURNS RETURNS

Flores said receiver Allen Hurns returned to South Florida on Monday and remains in concussion protocol after taking a full-speed shot to the head from Cowboys safety Jeff Heath, who was tracking a pass thrown by Josh Rosen. Hurns spent the night in a Dallas hospital instead of flying back with the team from South Florida.

“He’s doing a lot better,” Flores said.

The Dolphins could promote a receiver from the practice squad this week — perhaps Isaiah Ford — if Hurns is unavailable for Sunday’s home game against the Chargers.

With Hurns limited to five snaps Sunday before his injury, the Dolphins played most of Sunday’s game with only three receivers active: DeVante Parker and Preston Williams (69 snaps each) and Jakeem Grant (46). Albert Wilson (calf) remains sidelined.

Meanwhile, cornerback Jomal Wiltz sustained a groin injury against Dallas and is unlikely to play Sunday against the Chargers.

▪ After fumbling near the goal line late in the first half on a spin move while having one hand on the ball, Kenyan Drake took responsibility but said he does not need to change his running style. Does Flores agree?

“He’s got to secure the ball better; nobody is asking him to change his style,” Flores said. “We’ve talked about that. He knows that. Nobody is more upset about that than he is. Drake’s a good runner, fast, explosive, can make people miss.”

▪ Flores said he had no regrets about not challenging the play in which Williams was ruled to not have had possession on a potential TD reception in the end zone. CBS referee expert Gene Steratore said it was borderline whether the play was a touchdown. “I was [convinced] that was the right call,” Flores said.

▪ For the first time, second-year player Durham Smythe played the most of the tight ends — 40 snaps, compared with 30 for Mike Gesicki and 28 for Nick O’Leary.

▪ With Minkah Fitzpatrick traded to Pittsburgh, the Dolphins had Steven Parker and Walt Aikens each play 39 snaps at safety, while starting free safety Bobby McCain played 67 of Miami’s 72 defensive snaps. Reshad Jones has missed two games with an ankle injury, but Flores said last week that he’s “close” to returning.

BULLYGATE REVISITED

Six years after the Dolphins suspended him for essentially bullying teammate Jonathan Martin, Richie Incognito reflected on the saga during an interview with Bernard Goldberg that airs at 10 p.m. Tuesday on HBO’s Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel.

“Was some bad [expletive] said? Absolutely,” Incognito said. “But was this a case of bullying? Absolutely not.

“I think the report was unfair to my side of things. I think the gentleman [Ted Wells], who did the independent investigation, came in with the preconceived notion that I was guilty of doing this. I fit the bill. Hey, ‘racist, homophobic, whatnot.’ What I’m saying was, we were close, personal friends. It wasn’t factored into, ‘Hey, this is guy talk.’ These are two alpha males talking to each other.’”

When Goldberg mentioned that Wells’ investigation discovered homophobic and racist messages that Incognito sent to Martin — including one where Incognito called Martin a racial slur — Incognito said: “It was obviously something I regret. It’s the one line I can’t cross. Sometimes you say the worst things to the people closest to you, but I definitely don’t feel that that makes me a racist person.”

When Goldberg said Incognito drove Martin out of the league, Incognito said: “I did not drive him out of the league. I believe his mental health issues, and his demons in his past drove him out of the league.”

After serving a two-game NFL suspension, Incognito started at guard for the Raiders in Sunday’s loss to Minnesota. Martin last played in the NFL in 2014, for the 49ers.

Here’s my Monday piece examining the Dolphins’ offensive and defensive linemen and edge rushers, how they’ve played, what the team sees in the them and who could be longterm pieces.

This story was originally published September 23, 2019 at 4:02 PM.