The Miami Dolphins had an absolutely horrid Week 17 after getting absolutely smacked around by the overpowering Baltimore Ravens and Most Valuable Player favorite Lamar Jackson. What was expected to be an intense battle for the number one seed in the AFC quickly became one of the worst blowouts of the entire season as Miami suffered a 56-19 beatdown to their AFC rival. In bizarre fashion for Miami, the score was the least of their problems at the end of the day.
Miami Dolphins Suffer a Long List of Injuries in Big Loss to Baltimore
One of the best parts of this long run by Miami has been the emergence of the defense as an elite unit following the return of All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Since the return of the elite defensive back, Miami has forced a slurry of turnovers that have included a long list of defensive touchdowns against elite competition. Just last week, the defense beat up on Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys in a huge win over the elite NFC contender.
Unfortunately for Miami, their next two best defenders both suffered major injuries in the blowout loss against Baltimore. Edge rusher Bradley Chubb suffered a torn ACL in the game and will miss the rest of the season while cornerback Xavien Howard was carted off the field with a foot injury. While the official statement regarding Howard is that he could be back for the start of the playoffs, being carted off the field is rarely a miniscule injury. It would not surprise me if Howard doesn’t line up for Miami again this season.
On top of the two huge defensive blows to Miami, their starting quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered a shoulder injury in the game. While Head Coach Mike McDaniel has expressed that he has no concerns about Tagovailoa’s availability for the last week of the regular season, a nagging injury is the last thing a playoff team wants heading into the postseason. McDaniel has received heavy criticism for leaving his starters in the game after the decision lead to several of these critical injuries.
On top of the quarterback, star wide receiver Jaylen Waddle suffered a high ankle sprain and is “hopeful” to be back in time for the playoffs. Guard Robert Hunt is dealing with a major injury and obviously the injury of star running back Raheem Mostert is still a pressing issue.
A few days ago, I had Miami listed as my favorite team to make the Super Bowl in the AFC. Given the lost list of critical injuries to this team, I don’t even know if I’d pick Miami to get out of the first round. They officially lost their division lead to the red-hot Buffalo Bills and Miami has dropped all the way to a wild card slot. Miami will need huge performances from Tagovailoa to make up for the decimated roster after Week 17.
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