The Dolphins ruled out veterans Raheem Mostert and River Cracraft against the Jets.
The Miami Dolphins officially ruled out running back Raheem Mostert, along with five other players for a Week 14 game against the New York Jets.
Mostert was listed as questionable for the contest with a hip injury, but reports earlier Sunday indicated he wasn’t going to be able to play. But Mostert was one of four Dolphins players who entered game day as questionable and the other three — offensive tackle Terron Armstead, cornerback Kader Kohou, and linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. — are all active and in the lineup.
Instead, it’s veteran wide receiver River Cracraft who is the relatively surprising active scratch for Miami.
With kickoff 90 minutes away, here are the players ruled out by each team:
Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert is dealing with a hip injury. Here are the latest updates.
Miami Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert is in the final weeks of a rough season. After setting a franchise record for touchdowns in 2023, he has pushed down the depth chart by De’Von Achane and, at times, rookie Jaylen Wright too.
Mostert has also dealt with injuries. A chest injury cost him time early in the year and now he’s questionable for a Week 14 game against the New York Jets due to a hip injury.
“He’s had a couple things pop up that it wouldn’t be fair to his body to over-press him,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel told reporters Friday. “I think it’s important to me that with a very talented backfield that everyone gets opportunities; sometimes they come in waves.”
How long will Raheem Mostert be out?
Given that he was questionable after three straight days of limited practice time, the injury likely won’t be one that keeps Mostert on the shelf for long. It’d be slightly surprising if the veteran running back wasn’t available next week against the Texans.
Dolphins RB depth chart
Achane has emerged as the Dolphins’ lead back this season and he’ll undoubtedly be the team’s top option Sunday against the Jets. Wright has zero touches last week against the Packers, but he’ll presumably be worked back into the mix. There’s also Jeff Wilson Jr., who saw some play time in September, but has mostly been a healthy scratch in the last two months.
“The best players have to play and that’s my job to follow through with that.”
The Miami Dolphins haven’t been shy about mixing up their lineup amid a rough start to the 2024 season.
Running back Raheem Mostert has just three carries in the last two weeks, tight end Durham Smythe is averaging one target per game after finishing third on the team in targets last year, and David Long Jr. was waived just two months after he was named a defensive team captain.
“I think it’s been the same pattern each and every season,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said Wednesday afternoon. “One thing that I’m very upfront with with the players, the second they get in the building, the second we start talking projected lineups or positions within a position group, I think it’s important people know you’re entitled to nothing in this world.
“Playing time is solved by players on the field and the best players have to play and that’s my job to follow through with that. I don’t look at someone lost something, I look at who earned the opportunities.”
Among the beneficiaries of that philosophy are De’Von Achane, who already has 168 touches this season after finishing his rookie year with 130. and linebacker Anthony Walker Jr., who has stepped into the starting lineup in the last three weeks.
“It’s something that I think is important to players, in general, is — not only for themselves — but teammates want the teammate next to them that best deserves that situation,” McDaniel said. “Quite frankly, everyone that roots for the Dolphins is counting on me to make the hard decisions, regardless of what the ifs, ands, or buts, you have to do what’s the best for the team.”
More recently, the Dolphins turned to undrafted rookie Storm Duck to play extensively against the Las Vegas Raiders with Kendall Fuller out of action rather than relying on 2023 second-round pick Cam Smith.
“Tomorrow if Cam Smith completely outplays Storm Duck and we feel comfortable with what we’re doing, he’ll absolutely play over Storm Duck,” McDaniel said. “Everybody’s very aware of that. I think it’s very important to get the most out of people that they realize that it’s about what they’re doing in unison with what they’ve done. They get to dictate the terms at the present and moving forward.”
Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce drew a strong comparison between the Dolphins offense and that of the Rams ‘Greatest Show on Turf’.
Much has been made this week about the sheer speed the Dolphins possess on offense. With the likes Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Raheem Mostert, and De’Von Achane, they have elite speed. Or as Raiders DC Patrick Graham put it ‘they can run-run‘.
Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce played in the league for nine years from 2001-09. And when he was asked Friday what offense the Dolphins offense reminds him of, he made a strong comparison.
“The Rams. On the turf,” Pierce said referencing the St Louis Rams’ Greatest Show on Turf offense. “Like that was real. When they were rolling with Kurt Warner and [Tory] Holt and [Isaac] Bruce and Marshall Faulk. Even later on down the road, didn’t even matter if it was on grass, they were fast. Like it was on you right now. The speed is legit. You can’t mimic it. We’re doing the best we can in practice.
“But the good part about it like I said, we went against these guys last year and really felt the speed of Hill and Waddle and those guys over there. So we understand that, and we respect it. But at the at the end of the day, with speed you have put hands on them, right? Physicality needs to show up.”
It’s one thing to have to deal with great speed at receiver where the defense lines up their fastest players. It’s another thing to then also have to account for the running backs coming out of the backfield as well as making plays in the passing game.
De’Von Achane leads the team in rushing (457) and yards from scrimmage (774). He’s a legit game breaker whose career has been mired by injuries, including when the Raiders faced the Dolphins last season.
“Just dynamic. Everything’s explosive. Everything’s a big gain,” Pierce said of Achane. “Everything’s an explosive gain in the run game, the pass game, route-running. I think, obviously you look at the size, you think a smaller guy, but he runs like a big boy. He runs behind his pads, does a good job. He gets on you fast, and the arm tackles is not going to work with a player like this. You have to chest him up. You have to just put the body blows on him to slow him down throughout the game.”
That’s your Holt, Bruce, and Faulk comps right there. Tua Tagovailoa is a far cry from Kurt Warner, but with those weapons he may not have to be.
The Raiders know they will be dealing with serious speed vs the Dolphins week 11. They will set out to keep from getting burnt.
This season, the Raiders have seen a lot of opposing teams run away with games. With their trip to Miami this week, they will be trying to stop the Dolphins players from literally running away from them.
“One, you’ve got to be able to find a way to match up with their speed,” said Raiders DC Patrick Graham. “Whether it’s staying on top, whether it’s to run with them, you’ve got to figure out a way. There’s true speed out there on the field at a number of positions.”
The main focus in terms of speed will be wide receivers Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle. Both of whom are established burners who are electric with or without the ball in their hands.
For the Raiders, it will be hoping that they have enough speed on defense to match up with them.
“There’s several guys that we got on the defense that can run,” Graham continued. “Now, I’m not saying I want to line up and do a foot race with anybody from Miami. These guys can run run. When I say true speed I mean true speed out there on the field. And it’s not limited to [Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle].
“So, for us as a defensive staff, we’ve got to figure out the best way to deploy the defense and try to keep this speed under control a little bit. Take away the space, staying on top, things of that nature. Jakorian [Bennett] in terms of Jakorian and Jack [Jones]. All of our defensive backs. We got guys that can run too, so it’s going to be a fun game in terms of just being able to challenge ourselves. I think that’s the big thing for the players. It’s a good challenge.”
When Graham mentions that the Dolphins’ speed is not limited to Hill and Waddle, he is thinking primarily of running back De’Von Achane and Raheem Mostert. And you could throw QB Tua Tagovailoa in there as well.
In other words, the Dolphins have many different ways they can beat you.
Al Davis was all about speed on both sides of the ball. But the classic Raiders were also all about hard nosed football. For the Raiders, if they can’t match their speed, they must outplay them in physicality.
“One thing Flo (Brian Flores) used to always say ‘You can’t ever forget about the physicality of this game,” Graham continued. “I don’t care how fast it looks, how much they try to make it — whether it’s run and shoot, whether it’s whatever they want to call the different offenses — NFL football is a physical game, especially as you start to move into November and you’re starting to ramp up into after Thanksgiving. You can’t ever forget the physicality of the game.”
So, it will be important for the Raiders to remind the Dolphins this is a physical game. However they need to do that.
Drew Brees joined ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown set and shared his experience in engaging hungry playmakers — like Michael Thomas:
Legendary former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees joined ESPN’s pregame set for Monday Night Countdown before kickoff between the Miami Dolphins and Los Angeles Rams, and a key point of discussion was the trouble offenses loaded with weapons like Miami experienced in spreading the ball around.
Tyreek Hill. Jaylen Waddle. De’Von Achane. Raheem Mostert and Jaylen Wright. Those are just some of the playmakers clamoring for touches. And Brees knows a thing or two about keeping his superstars happy. He and Michael Thomas made a lot of history together with the Saints, and he shared some insight into managing that relationship with a player who has drawn so much attention — both from opposing defenses and spectators on social media.
“Look you’re always thinking matchups. And you’re always thinking we’ve got a lot of mouths to feed, how are we going to get all these guys opportunities, especially early in the game,” Brees said on the pregame show. He pointed to how opening scripts would set up the defense to tip their hand and show who they’re focused on taking away, at which point he and the offense could counter.
It’s just an approach that took a lot of patience. Brees continued: “And a lot of times I’d come to the sideline after Drive 1, Drive 2, and I’d look at Mike Thomas and be like ‘Hey Mike T, stay patient. Alright? They’re going to be doubling you here for a while. Alright? Young bucks, alright, you guys are going to get the ball, you’re going to get the opportunities when we’re start to make them pay here, Mike T you’re going to get your opportunities.'”
Managing that relationship was something Derek Carr struggled with after taking the reins from Brees, which led to a messy divorce between Thomas and the Saints that has repeatedly spilled out onto social media. Thomas has joined dissatisfied fans in calling for Carr’s job, and when one of Brees’ co-hosts brought that up, he gamely laughed it off.
It’s a shame things have taken such a turn for Thomas and the Saints. But if teams like the Dolphins are going to get where Brees and New Orleans have gone (Miami hasn’t won a playoff game since before Brees was drafted by the San Diego Chargers way back in 2001), they’ll need to do more to follow in his footsteps. That’s true for Carr and the modern-day Saints, too.
Even though Buffalo blew Miami out in Week 2 and is favored to win this time around, there are always a few things that make executing difficult each week. The Bills will need to be wary of them.
Here are three causes for concern for the Bills in Week 9:
Miami has their QB back
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The Dolphins looked like a bottom-of-the-barrel NFL team without their starting quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa. After he left Week 2’s loss to the Bills due to a concussion, the offense fell apart as he was forced to miss the next four games. In the games without him, they averaged just 10 points per game.
He made his return last week and the Dolphins scored 27 points in a loss to the Arizona Cardinals. He is the difference maker for the Dolphins. He and head coach Mike McDaniel haven’t had success against the Bills, but with him under center, they can’t be taken lightly.
Dolphins running game
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Even though the Dolphins have had poor offensive performances as of late, they have still found success running the football. Especially with second-year running back De’Von Achane.
Achane has averaged 87 rushing yards per game and almost seven yards per carry in the Dolphins’ last two games.
In the Week 2 loss to the Bills, Achane was the lone bright spot on the offense. He ran for 96 yards and added 69 receiving yards and a touchdown through the air.
Running back Raheem Mostert has hurt the Bills in the past, too. And they have another speedster to look out for in rookie Jaylen Wright.
The desperation factor
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If not now for the Dolphins, then when?
The Dolphins need a win in the worst way. Slipping to 2-6 would have them toeing the line of a forgotten season just eight games in. Frustrations are mounting for both the team and its fans.
The Dolphins have a tall task to go into Buffalo and come away with the win. The last time they won in Orchard Park, Rex Ryan was in charge of the Bills. But, they will be emptying the clip in hopes of turning their season around. Expect different looks and desperate measures from the Dolphins.
“You don’t go and ride the Tour de France on the first time you’ve picked the bike back up, you know?”
When Tua Tagovailoa spoke to reporters earlier this week, the Miami Dolphins quarterback said he’s been symptom-free since the day after he suffered a concussion in Week 2 and he’s spent the last five weeks throwing, studying, and prepping for his return.
But even if he’s physically ready for his Week 8 return, Tagovailoa hasn’t worked with Dolphins receivers in over a month. So head coach Mike McDaniel doesn’t think it’s the best idea to throw the entire playbook at the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday in Tagovailoa’s first game back.
“You don’t go and ride the Tour de France on the first time you’ve picked the bike back up, you know?” McDaniel told reporters Wednesday. “So that’s kind of the way we’re approaching it and excited to see him start the process.”
What a dialed back version of the Dolphins’ offense looks like remains to be seen.
The goal, according to McDaniel, is “that everyone is playing their most comfortable for the first time since Week 1.” And Tagovailoa’s confidence and comfort is the team’s top priority.
“He needs to be the captain, he needs to be the leader of this team, and he needs to feel complete ownership of his game,” McDaniel said. “You’re trying to build on what the team is doing right now and then utilize his strengths.”
On Monday, McDaniel said that he warned Dolphins players not to think of Tagovailoa as the “savior” who will rescue the offense after it spent four games sinking in quicksand. But the excitement of Dolphins players has been palpable.
Wide receiver Tyreek Hill, who hasn’t caught a touchdown pass since Week 1, said hearing Tagovailoa’s voice in practice nearly brought him to tears. And running back Raheem Mostert said the connection between Tagovailoa and Hill in their first practice in over a month “just looked like they didn’t skip a beat.”
McDaniel wants the Dolphins offense to walk before it starts to run, but the sooner the unit can get going, the better.
The Dolphins ran the ball 41 times against the Patriots, their most rushing attempts in over a year.
The Miami Dolphins offense finally found some rhythm Sunday, even if the scoreboard didn’t reflect that. In Tyler Huntley’s second start since signing with the Dolphins, the team found a way to pick up 372 yards and a season-high 24 first downs.
The formula for success wasn’t too complicated. Miami ran the ball 41 times against the New England Patriots and connected on shallow and intermediate passes that kept moving the chains.
“We’re just trying to get back to the basics and the understanding of the offense and I think this past game definitely showed that,” Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert said Tuesday. “We threatened them so hard [with the run’ and we got them out of the two-shell and they were single-high. That opened up more of the pass game and the pass windows for the receivers. All of that stuff goes hand-in-hand in this offense.”
The last time the Dolphins ran the ball more than 40 times in a game was their 70-20 destruction of the Denver Broncos in Week 3 of the 2023 season.
While the commitment to the run in that game was due mostly to the lopsided score, Miami managed to stick to the ground game Sunday despite trailing for the majority of the day. It paid dividends late, as the New England defense softened up in the fourth quarter, clearing the way for Mostert and Jaylen Wright to bulldoze down the field on a 15-play, game-winning touchdown drive in the final minutes.
“Being able to utilize the run game the way we did, it’s just going to open up more doors for everything else,” Mostert said. “I feel like once you establish the line of scrimmage everything else will take care of itself and that’s what we have to do.”
It’s a plan for success that could come in handy after the Dolphins’ Week 6 bye too. Miami will face the Indianapolis Colts, who have allowed the second most rushing yards in the NFL, and the Arizona Cardinals, who aren’t far behind with the fifth most. Then it’s a rematch against the Buffalo Bills, who have allowed an NFL-most 5.2 yards per carry.
The Dolphins ground game picked up 193 yards against the Patriots, more than the previous two games combined.
With Tua Tagovailoa sidelined, the logical path to victory for the Miami Dolphins seemed to be the team’s ground game. But in back-to-back losses against the Seattle Seahawks and Tennessee Titans, the Dolphins running backs struggled to find much room.
That changed Sunday in the team’s 15-10 win against the New England Patriots.
Despite losing De’Von Achane to a concussion in the first quarter, the duo of Raheem Mostert, who returned Sunday after missing three games with a chest injury, and fourth-round rookie Jaylen Wright led the way in Miami’s win.
“I think we had been disappointed with what we’ve produced on the ground, just in general” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said after the game. “I think the running back room was ready to put the team on their back, so to speak.”
Mostert finished his return with 19 carries for 80 yards, his highest total since Week 13 of the 2023 season. He was topped by Wright, who managed to pick up 86 yards on only 13 carries even after a 33-yard gain was negated by a penalty.
“Jaylen Wright definitely stepped up big,” Dolphins fullback Alec Ingold, who scored Miami’s only touchdown, said. “Raheem [Mostert] to come back and be able to play physical … to be able to find those creases, I think both of those guys played really hard, really physical. It was really cool to see them flourish in the fourth quarter like that.”
By the end of the game, the Dolphins had 193 rushing yards — more than their last two games combined, and their biggest output on the ground since Week 5 of 2023.
“I just feel like it all came together in the second half,” Wright said. “I felt like we were getting good movement thanks to the offensive line. We were getting good movement you know and getting it up to the second or third level. It opens things up for the run to produce great runs.”
The Dolphins will be without Tagovailoa for at least one more week, as the quarterback is required to miss four games or more before returning from injured reserve. If Miami can continue to find momentum with its ground game, it would go a long way toward keeping the 2024 season afloat until it once again resembles its Week 1 self.
