There’s the bad news, Miami Dolphins fans. Your rookie starting guard, Solomon Kindley, has already been ruled out of Miami’s Week 16 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders. Kindley, who suffered a knee injury in Week 15 against the New England Patriots, has spent time this season as both the team’s left and right guard — moving to the left side to help the Dolphins compensate for another lower body injury in the trenches to Ereck Flowers.
It is an unfortunate turn of events for a Dolphins team who has enjoyed a fair amount of stability thus far this season along the offensive line, only really needing to call upon 6 different players to take starts ahead of Week 16: Austin Jackson, Ted Karras, Jesse Davis, Robert Hunt, Kindley and Flowers. We’ve seen cameos from the likes of Michael Deiter and also from Adam Pankey as an extra offensive lineman, but the Dolphins’ unit has had all the familiar faces week in and week out.
That streak may continue in Week 16, that’s the good news. Ereck Flowers has been a limited participant in practice all week long for the Dolphins after being up for consideration to play last week against the Patriots, too. If Flowers can dress, he’ll presumably step right back in at left guard and Miami will see a starting line combination that has been in use for much of the season featuring a veteran interior trio and rookie bookends.
But even if Flowers can’t dress, Miami has 2019 3rd-round pick Michael Deiter waiting in the wings. Deiter played well in relief of Kindley against the Patriots and the Raiders’ defense is even less imposing than what the Dolphins just discarded of in New England. Las Vegas’ depth chart features Maurice Hurst, Kendal Vickers and Jonathan Hankins at defensive tackle with Maliek Collins returning from injured reserve this week for the Raiders. He hasn’t played since November 15th.
The Raiders defense is not to the caliber of New Englands’ is, so regardless who Miami has available to play left guard, the standard and expectation shouldn’t change. But we sure would like to see Kindley back ahead of next Sunday’s Week 17 clash with the Buffalo Bills either way!