In a truly devastating turn of events, it has been confirmed that Miami Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb suffered a torn ACL in the team’s brutal 56-19 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The Phins will do their best to compensate for this huge absence when they battle the Buffalo Bills for the AFC East title in Week 18.
Although Sunday did not show it, Miami boasts one of the best defensive units in the NFL. And Chubb is a big reason why. The two-time Pro Bowl selection recorded 11 sacks, 74 combined tackles, 11 tackles for loss and a whopping six forced fumbles in 16 games.
There is no way to sugarcoat this crushing blow, especially when considering the timing. The Dolphins can fall to the No. 6 seed in the playoffs and lose the opportunity to play in front of the home crowd at Hard Rock Stadium if they don’t beat the Bills on Sunday Night Football. Those are gut-wrenching circumstances for a team that has been in control of the division all seasonlong.
Miami’s struggles against upper-tier competition is well-documented, but injuries have prevented head coach Mike McDaniel from seeing his team take the field at full strength on a consistent basis. While that is a plight every team endures, this fan base is desperate for a turn of good fortune.
The Dolphins could be headed toward a bittersweet conclusion for the second year in a row. They advanced to the postseason last year but did not have quarterback Tua Tagovailoa under center (concussion). Now, the squad is going into the playoffs down a high-end pass rusher.
Perhaps, Bradley Chubb can still fire up his teammates from the sidelines.
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