Now that quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is officially on the injured reserve, the Miami Dolphins (1-1) must play a clean and crafty brand of football that will allow them to navigate their glaring limitations on offense. Trusting Tyreek Hill with short passes in space and leaning on the lauded running back room seems like the most optimal route to victory for the Phins.
Unfortunately, however, injuries might also prevent head coach Mike McDaniel from implementing that plan to full effect. Veteran ball-carrier Raheem Mostert missed last Thursday’s blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills with a chest injury and is in danger of being ruled out for a Week 3 road matchup versus the Seattle Seahawks (2-0). McDaniel is “pessimistic” about the 2023 Pro Bowler’s chances of taking the field on Sunday, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Can the Dolphins survive the Seahawks at less than full strength?
De’Von Achane was active and explosive versus Buffalo (29 touches for 165 total yards and one touchdown) and should be good to handle another big workload in Seattle, but McDaniel loves the red-zone brilliance and depth that Mostert brings to the Dolphins. The 32-year-old, who is still relatively fresh after logging only 680 rushing attempts in his NFL career to this point, scored a mind-boggling 21 TDs and ran for a personal-best 1,012 yards in 15 games last season.
Miami obviously values Mostert’s skill set and would love to have another dependable player in the backfield after losing a major part of their offensive identity. Despite the gloomy forecast, he can defy the odds by registering a full practice session on Friday (was limited on Thursday).
The Dolphins are surely grateful to be weathering their latest injury troubles during what should be the softest stretch of their schedule. They do not face a team that made the playoffs in 2023-24 until a November game against the Bills. The Seahawks will present a tough challenge for a shorthanded squad, though. Mike McDaniel must employ his signature creativity if Miami is going to escape Lumen Field with a winning record.
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