Dolphins injury updates. And playing time details, notes and grades at every position
News and notes at every position, beyond quarterback, coming out of the Dolphins’ 31-10 loss to Buffalo:
▪ Running back: With Raheem Mostert sidelined by a chest injury, De’Von Achane had 29 touches — 22 carries for 96 yards (a 4.4 average) and seven receptions for 69 yards (a 9.9 average) and a touchdown.
Achane, who has 13 touchdowns in 13 career games, led the Dolphins in rushing attempts, rushing yards, receptions and yards receiving.
Jeff Wilson Jr.’s oblique injury — sustained during the game — is not significant, according to NFL Network. And Mostert is not expected to be sidelined long-term.
Rookie Jaylen Wright made his NFL debut and had just 4 yards on five carries.
Achane played 47 of the Dolphins’ 76 snaps. Wright played 18 and Wilson 11. Alec Ingold played 24 snaps, picking up a first down on one short-yardage carry and failing to another.
▪ Wide receiver: Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle combined for just 65 yards in receptions, their lowest combined total since they became teammates to start the 2022 season.
Waddle (four catches for 41 yards) played 55 snaps, and Hill (three receptions for 24 yards) played 52 snaps.
Miami gave 34 snaps to Braxton Berrios, 26 to Grant DuBose and 17 to Robbie Chosen. This season, all three passes thrown to Berrios have been incomplete. Chosen has caught one of four targets for 5 yards and an interception. DuBose has caught 1 of 3 targets for 13 yards and an interception.
So here’s what that means: Dolphins quarterbacks have a 0.00 passer rating when throwing to any receiver other than Hill or Waddle this season — 2 for 10 for 18 yards and two interceptions.
▪ Tight end: Durham Smythe played 33 snaps, Julian Hill 32 and Jonnu Smith 28. Tanner Conner played three snaps on offense, just as he did in the opener against Jacksonville.
Smith caught six passes for 53 yards, but the Dolphins haven’t yet given him a carry after using him as a runner some in preseason.
PFF rated Smith Miami’s second-best player on offense on Thursday, behind only Achane. Hill was rated fifth and Smythe 19th of 22 players used on offense.
▪ Offensive line: Terron Armstead played 46 snaps before leaving for good with a shoulder injury that McDaniel said should not be season ending and should have him back “sooner than later.”
With Armstead hobbled, Kendall Lamm played 30 snaps at left tackle, and PFF rated him Miami’s third-best player on offense on Thursday.
At left guard, Robert Jones played 40 snaps before leaving with a shoulder injury; Lester Cotton replaced him and played 36.
Among 22 players who appeared on offense for the Dolphins besides Lamm, PFF rated center Aaron Brewer fourth, Armstead sixth, right guard Liam Eichenberg seventh, Cotton 11th, Jones 17th and Austin Jackson 23rd.
Jackson permitted seven pressures and a sack, per PFF.
PFF blamed Jones for allowing Buffalo’s only other sack.
PFF’s Ryan Smith said Miami’s team pass blocking grade (not just the offensive line) was the Dolphins’ lowest since October 2022.
▪ Defensive line: Zach Sieler played 35 of Miami’s 45 defensive snaps, while Da’Shawn Hand played 24, Calais Campbell 23, Benito Jones 16 and Brandon Pili 9.
Among 20 players who took defensive snaps on Thursday, PFF rated Sieler third best, Jones sixth, Hand seventh, Campbell 15th and Pili 19th.
▪ Outside linebacker: Emmanuel Ogbah played 28 of Miami’s 45 defensive snaps, Chop Robinson 24, Jaelan Phillips 23 and Quinton Bell 16.
Among those four, PFF rated Robinson Miami’s second-best player on defense, behind only Jordyn Brooks. The Dolphins didn’t have a sack, but Robinson had two pressures in eight pass rushing snaps.
Among 20 players who appeared in the game on defense for Miami, PFF rated Bell 10th, Ogbah 12th and Phillips 18th.
▪ Inside linebackers: Brooks and David Long Jr. again played all 45 defensive snaps, leaving no defensive snaps for Anthony Walker Jr. (who has committed two special teams penalties in two weeks) and Duke Riley.
Long had two of the Dolphins’ four tackles for loss; Sieler and Robinson had the others.
PFF rated Brooks and Sieler as Miami’s best run defenders on Thursday.
On the flip side, all five passes thrown in Long’s coverage area were caught, for 59 yards.
▪ Cornerback: Jalen Ramsey and Kendall Fuller played 41 of Miami’s 45 defensive snaps before Siran Neal and Storm Duck played four snaps late. Kader Kohou logged 27 snaps, and PFF said he was Miami’s worst player on defense on Thursday. Fuller was fifth and Ramsey 14th.
Fuller allowed no completions in two targets against him, while Ramsey permitted both passes thrown in his coverage area to be caught for 40 yards. Both passes thrown against Kohou were caught for 20 yards.
▪ Safety: Jevon Holland and Jordan Poyer played 41 of Miami’s 45 defensive snaps before Elijah Campbell and Marcus Maye played four snaps late. PFF rated Poyer 13th and Holland 17th among 20 Dolphins defenders.
