The Miami Dolphins continued their excellent run of form in Week 13, which saw them record their third consecutive win in a 21-17 victory against the New Orleans Saints.
The win last weekend was the team’s third in a row, and their fourth in the past five games, bringing their record up to 5-7 on the season.
However, in spite of the win, they did get some bad news on the offensive front in the guise of fullback, Alec Ingold.
Ingold was forced out of the bout against the Saints mid-game on Sunday with a stinger injury. Although it does not seem to be ultra-serious, head coach Mike McDaniel was unable to give any definitive good (or bad) news on Ingold’s issue, and noted he was “day-to-day” when speaking to the media the day after the Saints game.
“Dolphins FB Alec Ingold is day to day.” The Sun Sentinel’s David Furones wrote on X on December 1st, following McDaniel’s media availability that morning.
There was also further slightly disappointing news for Dolphins fans, as McDaniel noted that none of the players on injured reserve; interior offensive lineman, James Daniels, center, Andrew Meyer and kicker Jason Sanders; would be designated to return that week.
Alec Ingold’s Return Date Up-In-The-Air
Most teams would not be fretting too much about the return of their fullback. Indeed, many teams in the modern-day NFL do not even carry a traditional FB on their roster, preferring instead to utilize a flexible backup tight end in the role, who can also fulfill traditional TE responsibilities when called upon.
But Ingold, who was elected to the Pro Bowl Bowl for the 2023 season, is certainly not your ordinary fullback.
Ingold has a pivotal role in the run game for Mike McDaniel’s offense, and has helped the team’s dynamic leading rusher, DeVon Achane, already hit his career high in rushing yards in a single season, with 1,034, after just 12 games.
And unlike other fullbacks, Ingold is not just a bit-part contributor, coming in on specific heavy sets and play-action downs with the quarterback under center. Ingold routinely plays over a third of the snaps on offense, with that number often rising to as much as 40-45% – and in some cases over 50%.
So it is clear that the former Las Vegas Raider performs a key role in the Dolphins offensive setup, even if his receiving yards numbers each season remain consistently in the single to early double digits.
Dolphins’ Offense Once Again Looking Tenuous
Despite Sunday’s win, McDaniel will not be thrilled with the performacne put up by his Dolphins offense.
Quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, threw for just 157 yards and 1 interception, garnering a passer rating of 55.9.
And despite his efficiency rating being very low, it is just his fourth worst of the season so far – denoting that his inconsistency in the passing game is hardly a one off.
Both Tagovailoa and McDaniel have reportedly both been given another year, irregardless of how the rest of year plays out – per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport – but there will not doubt be lingering concerns that could certainly accelerate this patient Tua timeline if things continue to stagnate offensively.
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