Defensive Injuries are Taking Their Toll

Injuries happen. They happen to every team, every year. The injury bug is something that no team can avoid forever. You simply have to roll with the punches when your time comes. That time has come for this Miami Dolphins squad in a big way. And so far, they aren’t rolling with the punches very well. It’s a long season, but reinforcements aren’t likely coming.

The NFL is a “next man up” league, and the next guys up for the Dolphins have to do a better job than what they did Sunday. Reshad Jones is going to be back at some point. I thought he was going to be back this week. Unfortunately, that was not the case. His absence in the Dolphins defensive backfield has been felt in a huge way. The coverage has been lacking for two weeks now, and communication breakdowns have increased exponentially.

If the Jones injury wasn’t bad enough, the defensive front for the Miami Dolphins has been decimated by the injury bug. Both William Hayes and Andre Branch missed Sunday’s game, and it showed. Both guys are key contributors not necessarily in the stat sheet — though Hayes pass rush is a significant contribution — but more in the rotation. Having them available to eat snaps keeps everyone fresh and motor revved. And none of this is touching on the Bobby McCain injury. To say it’s been a disastrous few weeks would be an understatement.

Injuries on defense aren’t the reason that Miami lost this game. They were simply out-classed in every facet of the game. But those injuries sure don’t help. Depth is a real issue on this team, and one that’s not going to be addressed any time soon.

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