MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — To save time, ask us to list the Miami Dolphins defenders that we know for certain will play Sunday.
Because the list of those that will not — which now includes Andrew Van Ginkel, Jerome Baker, and Cameron Goode — is ridiculously long.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel made the shock announcement Monday that Baker — who played 41 snaps Sunday night and made a touchdown-saving stop at the goal line — “appears to be” done for the season after suffering a wrist injury in the Buffalo Bills game that necessitated surgery.
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Baker’s injury came in his first game back from injured reserve. He missed the previous four contests with a knee issue.
Van Ginkel is also likely out regardless of how deep the Dolphins’ playoff run is after hurting his foot Sunday. McDaniel did not specify whether Van Ginkel needs surgery.
As for Goode, who would be in line for significant snaps due to the aforementioned injuries plus those suffered by Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb? He tore his patellar tendon while trying to cover a punt that Deonte Harty returned for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter.
That means that Emmanuel Ogbah, as of Monday, was the only active roster edge defender the Dolphins had available to play. Expect Melvin Ingram to get the full-time call-up to the 53 after bouncing back and forth from the practice squad since rejoining the team last month.
Quinton Bell, the scout team star of an early Hard Knocks episode, will likely also get promoted this week.
And McDaniel all but confirmed that not only will the team sign front seven defenders off the street, but there’s a good chance that a player who wasn’t with the team Sunday will get snaps from scrimmage Saturday.
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There was more bad news. Xavien Howard is expected to miss Saturday’s game with a foot injury, and the Dolphins aren’t super confident that they’ll have Jevon Holland (knees) at full strength after limiting his reps against the Bills.
“I would never rule anything out with X,” McDaniel added.
Put it all together, and the Dolphins will be without four — and as many as six — defensive starters against the defending Super Bowl champions. It’s an awful scenario any week, but doubly so on the road in the playoffs against two-time league MVP Patrick Mahomes.
Dolphins reserves who will be tested Sunday beyond Ingram and Ogbah include Brandon Jones, Eli Apple, and Duke Riley.
Also, don’t be surprised if Christian Wilkins — who had his right hand/wrist heavily wrapped Monday but did not disclose why — gets significant snaps at defensive end against the Chiefs.
“The team hurts for the individual players, just because you invest in your teammates’ story, know where they’re at and the opportunity that they have,” McDaniel said Monday. “But I think that we’ve learned the hard way that we have capable players across the board, and the team doesn’t use that as an excuse whatsoever.”
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