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The 2020 Miami Dolphins campaign hasn’t gotten off to the fastest of starts — the team sits at 1-2 through the first three weeks of the season and endured frustratingly narrow losses to the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots along the way, but now look to climb back to .500 on the season in Week 4. There’s just one little problem: the Dolphins are scheduled to face off against the Seattle Seahawks and, more specifically, the early favorite to claim the 2020 NFL Most Valuable Player award, Russell Wilson.
Miami is going to have to catch some breaks along the way if they hope to derail Wilson’s torrid start and knock Seattle from the ranks of the unbeaten. But there’s a layer to this matchup that could actually break Miami’s way and add a lot of extra intrigue to the contest: injuries.
Three player injuries could end up going a long way in Miami decoding Seattle as a football team in Week 4, with variables at play for both teams.
Dolphins CB Byron Jones
Jones left Miami’s Week 2 loss to the Buffalo Bills on the opening defensive possession with a groin injury — and Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs proceeded to torch the Dolphins as a result. Miami will need all hands on deck to help corral Seattle’s 1-2 punch of D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett at wide receiver. Of all of Miami’s defenders, Jones is the most explosive big athletes that would give the Dolphins the best possible chance to contain Metcalf down the field.
But is two weeks enough of a timetable to get Jones back into the action? If not, look for Miami to implement Xavien Howard against Metcalf and Noah Igbinoghene against Tyler Lockett — a dangerous coverage blend when you consider how lethal Lockett was against the Cowboys. Igbinoghene will be plenty good with time, but Lockett has the ability to turn him around in coverage much like Stefon Diggs did. He’s that good of a route runner.