The NFL preseason action hasn’t yet gotten underway, but the AFC landscape has suffered it’s first dramatic tilt — an event that could potentially alter the end of season race for the postseason and, more specifically to the Miami Dolphins, a critical early-season matchup.
It has been reported that Indianapolis Colts quarterback Carson Wentz is going to need 5-12 weeks to recover from surgery on his foot; a decision that Wentz reportedly considered trying to avoid through therapy but ultimately was pushed to make the leap. If Wentz recovers within the 5-week timeline, he should be back in time for the start of the regular season. But if he missed 8-12 weeks of time, it will leave the Colts without their starting quarterback for a Week 4 trip to South Florida to face the Dolphins.
Both Miami and Indianapolis are considered to be firmly in the race for the postseason, so missing their starting quarterback for the contest would be a difficult blow to absorb; particularly when their backup with a second-year quarterback in Jacob Eason who hasn’t taken significant snaps.
But even if Wentz does ultimately return prior to the Dolphins game, his absence from the rest of training camp as a first-year Colt who will be throwing to his receivers for the first time ever will create an even bigger hurdle to playing with chemistry than the team already faced. And Miami playing against those dynamics early in the season is an advantage that the team can hopefully capitalize on and take advantage of.
So while Wentz will have time to try to rehab and get ready for the season, this is a sub-plot to the first month of the season to file away and check in on from time to time. The Dolphins catch two AFC East rivals and a west coast trip before this showdown with Indianapolis, making it an important early-season clash.