Miami Gardens (CBS12 News) — The Miami Dolphins continue to rally around the spirit of wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who is sidelined for the season following knee surgery. Despite his absence, Hill’s influence remains strong in the locker room as the team prepares for a road trip to Carolina.

“Just him having that energy on the side even though he just had been hurt,” recalls running back De’vo Achane of the Jets game when Hill was hurt. “Him not feeling sorry for himself, being down, him having that energy that he shows around here, it’s just making sure we keep that alive. He’s saying like, ‘OK, we got a game to win.’ We saw him happy, he was excited, so that helped us a lot just finish the game.”

The next matchup comes against a Panthers squad that has struggled to find rhythm. Carolina’s offense has sputtered, while its defense has given up more than 23 points per game, ranking 19th in the league. The Dolphins see themselves in a strong position to improve their record to 2-3 by Sunday’s end.

“(We have to) just continue to focus on being 1-0 every week,” says tight end Darren Waller “Being 1-0 every week starts with having things like a good Wednesday practice. Just keep things as simple as possible, the scoreboard will take care of itself.”

Waller made perhaps the most memorable impact in Miami’s last game. In his Dolphins debut, Waller hauled in two touchdowns, marking a triumphant return after being away from football for nearly two years in retirement. His performance served as a reminder of his talent and the joy of making a difference in front of a home crowd.

“Almost euphoric, overwhelming almost but in a positive way,” said Waller when asked about feeling that adrenaline again. “The energy is unmatched, I think that’s what makes the game so exciting. Those are just memories that you’ll never forget. It’s awesome to play football in front of a crowd and a rabid fanbase.”

“The first touchdown throw to him was an eye-opener for me just given the length that he has,” says quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. “In a way, that was a trust throw where I felt like, ‘Dang, that was high that I threw that ball,’ and for him to get up and make a play like that, kind of gives me more of an insight of what kind of ball I can throw to him if he’s ever coming across the middle, or if it’s a oneon- one matchup with him on a go bar, whatever that looks like. There’s still some routes that we’ve still got to tidy up and get on the same page with, and a day like today, tomorrow and Friday, we’ll be able to work those kinks out.”

On the other side of the ball, Miami’s defense made strides in correcting its turnover woes. Against the Jets, the Dolphins forced three fumbles. Newly acquired cornerback Rasul Douglas, who joined the team just a week before the regular season, played a pivotal role with one sack, one tackle for loss, and two pass breakups.

“I saw him as one of the top three guys in the unit,” says Head Coach Mike McDaniel. “As far as the guys who had the best game. He really played within the scheme, played physical, did not hesitate, was able to show up around the ball in the pass game and made his presence felt on some zone vice tackles that were very important in the game. He’s been a fast teammate.”

The Dolphins travel to Carolina for a 1 p.m. kickoff on Sunday.