The Miami Dolphins are just two days away from their most important game of the young 2024 season, a Week 2 tilt against the Buffalo Bills. Both the Bills and Dolphins won their first game of the year, so this game will be for the early lead in the AFC East, a battle that Dolphins fans hope will be relevant throughout the season.
Monday’s injury report saw a total of seven players listed, with three given a “non-participant” designation. Miami didn’t practice on Monday, so those were an estimate with a more clear picture to come later in the week. As for Tuesday, the picture didn’t become any more clear, as the Dolphins simply had a walk-through and practice participation was once again an estimate.
Nothing changed for the Dolphins from Monday to Tuesday. All seven players who appeared on Monday’s report appear on Tuesday’s, with the same practice designation given to each player. While that may not seem helpful, it may shed some light on what the Dolphins situation at running back will be in Thursday Night’s game against the Bills.
Once again both Raheem Mostert and De’Von Achane were listed as non-participants, Mostert with a chest injury and Achane with an ankle injury. There’s only one more day of practice before the teams square off under the bright lights of Thursday Night Football, and it’s not looking good for either player to go for the Dolphins.
If both are out against the Bills, that will leave the bulk of the running back duties to rookie Jaylen Wright, who was a scratch in the team’s first game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Wright was a star in the preseason, so much so it even led to some speculation that Miami may be looking to trade Mostert and elevate Wright as a rotational back with Achane. That obviously didn’t happen, and Wright has yet to make his NFL debut.
If the Dolphins are forced to go with Wright on Thursday, it may mean a pass-heavy offense becomes even more one-dimensional, which is less than ideal when facing one of the best teams in the league. Miami is going to need to find a way to add some diversity to their offense, perhaps on some trick or gadget plays, if they want to keep the Bills defense from keying on the pass on every down. We’ll know more tomorrow about the Dolphins’ situation at running back, but right now it’s not looking good.
