Not much has gone right for the Miami Dolphins amid a 1-4 start. Adding injury to insult, the team will remain short-handed on the offensive line for the most of October, if not longer.
James Daniels (pectoral), Austin Jackson (toe), Liam Eichenberg (undisclosed) and Andrew Meyer (undisclosed) are all still âseveral weeksâ from returning to action, head coach Mike McDaniel said Monday via David Furones of the Sun Sentinel.
Right Side of Dolphins’ Line Remains in Flux
Playing behind a makeshift line down two starters on the right side in Daniels and Jackson, Miamiâs Tua Tagovailoa was sacked three times but still managed to throw for 256 yards and three touchdowns in Sundayâs 27-24 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
The ground game, however, was nearly non-existent, as the Dolphins mustered just 19 yards on 14 carries against one of the leagueâs bottom-ranked run defenses.
While both Daniels and Jackson became eligible to return to practice this week after landing on injured reserve following the Week 1 loss to the Indianapolis Colts, itâll be a while longer before the Dolphins can fully count on them to perform.
Meyer, a top backup on the interior of the line, was placed on IR in August with a designation to return. Joining him on the sidelines is Eichenberg, who has been on the reserve/physically unable to perform (PUP) list since August after missing all of training camp with an undisclosed injury.
The instability up front has put Miamiâs offense in a difficult spot. They rank 28th in yards per game (278.6) and 21st in points per game (21.4). On top of that, Tagovailoa has already been sacked 11 times.
Rookie Guard’s Struggles Continue
Right guard has been a revolving door in Danielsâ absence, as 2022 first-rounder Cole Strange is now the third different player to slot in at that position over the last few weeks. Kion Smith started in Weeks 2 and 3 but was benched for Daniel Brunskill.
Notably, Tagovailoa was sacked a season-high five times by the New England Patriots in Week 2.
Patrick Paul and Larry Borom have settled in at both tackle spots, as has Aaron Brewer at center. And despite his struggles, rookie Jonah Savaiinaea remains at left guard. The 37th overall pick from Arizona, Savaiinaea is currently the lowest-graded guard in the NFL (104th of 104), according to Pro Football Focus.
With the Los Angeles Chargers visiting in Week 6, the Dolphins will need improvement in that area.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Dolphins Get Unfortunate Update on 4 Injured Offensive Linemen appeared first on Heavy Sports.