The Miami Dolphins haven’t played at Hard Rock Stadium in nearly 250 days.
That changes Saturday as the Dolphins will wrap up the presesaon against the Jacksonville Jaguars. And for fans in attendance for the preseason finale, have no fear — the starters are expected to get some run, per coach Mike McDaniel.
“My plan is for them to appear,” McDaniel said Thursdaay. “What that looks like, the length of that will kind of be determined by today’s practice and then I’ll meet with the coaching staff right after and then tell the players a little more definitively what that looks like, but they have recently been told that they will appear.”
The reasoning is simple: McDaniel doesn’t want the starters’ first home game to be Sept. 14 vs. the New England. That said, don’t expect the starters to get an extended run as the Dolphins want to mitigate exposure to injury.
“It’s the first time this team has been through that routine, and much of the game and much of each and every regular-season game, the success or failure is determined by the process of going from practice to a game,” McDaniel said, explaining that he wants players to “get the last jitterbugs out before we get real.”
“Those reps are invaluable so that’s where my priority goes,” McDaniel continued.
Quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, for one, agreed.
“That’ll be a great opportunity,” Tagovailoa said of the ability to get a series or two on Saturday, later adding that he hopes to get receiver Jaylen “Waddle out there. Just get him back in his routine, his game-day routine. The feel of hearing the first play, going out running the plays. There’s a lot of injuries and things going on of that nature so you’re going to have to maneuver through who’s going to be in there, who’s not going to be in there, the risk reward of that as well.”
As Tagovailoa mentioned, health should always be the priority in preseason. Unfortunately, the Dolphins haven’t done too well in that area as the list of injured players includes receiver Tyreek Hill (oblique), cornerback Kendall Sheffield (undisclosed soft tissue), defensive tackle Kenneth Grant (undisclosed), tailback De’Von Achane (calf), safety Ashtyn Davis (left lower leg), cornerback Ethan Bonner (hamstring) as well as several offensive lineman including Andrew Meyer (left elbow), lineman Bayron Matos (above the shoulders) and Austin Jackson (left lower leg). As if that weren’t bad enough, linebacker Jordyn Brooks appeared shaken up towards the end of Thursday’s joint practice with the Jaguars while tailback Jaylen Wright and receiver AJ Henning exited early with respective lower-body injuries.
The injury to Wright especially hurts considering the running back room already lost short-yardage ace Alexander Mattison to a season-ending neck surgery. If Achane’s calf causes him to miss significant time, a real possibility due to the muscle’s connection to the Achilles, the brunt of the Dolphins’ rushing attack could fall on rookie Ollie Gordon II.
“At the end of the day, I’m just doing whatever is best for the team,” Gordon said Friday. “That’s special teams or anything — I’m here for it.”
A 2023 Doak Walker Award winner, Gordon holds the distinction of being the only healthy tailback who began training camp on the roster. The other two players — Aaron Shampklin and Mike Boone — were added Aug. 11 after Mattison’s injury. That extra time should give him an edge in mastering the playbook.
“I feel great,” Gordon said when asked how well he knows the offense. “Watching the ones before me — my vets do a great job. They still help me. My coach does a great job. Extra meetings with him. Extra meetings with my vets. Just talking to them even after meetings, outside of meetings has definitely prepared me for this.”
With Gordon’s likely impending elevation up the depth chart, even he shouldn’t get much run against the Jaguars. The 21-year-old has already show what he can do in limited reps through two preseason games — 18 carries for 83 yards and touchdown — so it’s not worth the risk. Saturday, of course, is important for a routine standpoint but, as McDaniel said, it’s about to “get real” come Sept. 7.