Dolphins starting offensive linemen James Daniels (pectoral) and Austin Jackson (toe) are eligible to come off injured reserve this week against the Chargers, but coach Mike McDaniel said Monday that both are “several weeks” away from being able to play.
Offensive linemen Liam Eichenberg (physically unable to perform list) and Andrew Meyer (injured reserve) also are now eligible to play, but McDaniel said they, too, are several weeks away from playing after sustaining undisclosed injuries this summer.
Meanwhile, linebacker Tyrel Dodson is in concussion protocol after taking a hit to the head on Sunday.
And nickel cornerback Cornell Armstrong will miss some time with a hamstring injury; Miami is low on nickel corners, with Jason Marshall Jr. on injured reserve. Against Carolina, the Dolphins used safeties, including Minkah Fitzpatrick, at nickel corner after Armstrong departed.
The Dolphins’ offensive line struggled badly against Carolina, allowing Tua Tagovailoa to be sacked three times and showing an inability to create creases for a running game that mustered just 19 yards on 14 carries against a run defense that was ranked in the lower third of the league entering the game.
McDaniel addressed other issues on Monday, in the wake of Sunday’s 27-24 loss to Carolina and in advance of Sunday’s home game against the Chargers (1 p.m., CBS):
▪ McDaniel said owner Stephen Ross was “really frustrated, as I was” after the game. “We talked about the challenge ahead to get ready for the Chargers.”
▪ Regarding the poor run defense, McDaniel said: “Guys were overlapping responsibilities. It goes back to how am I communicating it.
“It’s the why, as opposed to me [cursing] people. It’s guys missing tackles because of too many punch out attempts that we’ve been emphasizing to get more takeaways.”
▪ McDaniel said he saw “some solutions” on tape of the Carolina game “that the collective whole can execute. The worst [thing] would be if I didn’t see solutions on tape. It’s frustrating because there’s a lot of talking. We need to major in doing.”
▪ Asked if there could be lineup changes, McDaniel suggested he’s more focused on finding solutions and “starting with me, doing our jobs [whatever] percent better.”
▪ Tight end Darren Waller, whose offensive snap counts doubled from 16 to 32, has “scratched the surface” on what he can accomplish in Miami’s offense.
He’s the first Dolphins player in history to catch three touchdown passes in his first two games as a Dolphin.
McDaniel again was asked why Waller wasn’t targeted in the second half after catching five passes in the first half. McDaniel said Carolina “was giving him extra attention, which kind of moved the ball to other spots.”
McDaniel also cited “the lack of productivity on first and second down….That disturbed his flow.”
Here’s my Monday piece with nuggets, position by position, and who’s to blame for the poor run defense.