An injury to a star player will exacerbate one of the Miami Dolphins' biggest weaknesses, hurting their Super Bowl aspirations.
Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Dolphins outside linebacker Bradley Chubb — who leads the team in sacks (11 in 16 games) — suffered a season-ending ACL tear in the fourth quarter in Sunday's 56-19 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Head coach Mike McDaniel felt leaving the two-time Pro Bowler in a blowout was a mistake.
Dolphins pass rusher Bradley Chubb crushes Jets QB Zach Wilson for a sack fumble. Christian Wilkins got there first.
— Cameron Wolfe (@CameronWolfe) December 17, 2023
Zach Sieler recovers at Jets 1 and leads to TD. Great opening sequence for Miami defense: pic.twitter.com/lUCziT2HfH
"I mean, in hindsight, I would absolutely not have wanted him out there if I would've known that he was going to get hurt. It doesn't look very smart at all," he said, per ESPN.com. "The players wanted to go back in and play and finish the right way heading into next week. And I have the ability to tell them no on everything in this situation. There's plenty of decisions that I'll cross-examine."
Dolphins third-year linebacker Jaelan Phillips — who had 6.5 sacks in eight games — suffered a season-ending Achilles tear in a Week 12 win over the New York Jets. Miami is tied for 21st in the league in points allowed (23.1), so not having two of its top pass-rushers in the postseason is a significant blow.
In Week 18, the Dolphins host the Buffalo Bills (10-6) in a matchup that will determine the AFC East crown. Miami can't host a playoff game if it loses, which isn't ideal. It went 4-4 on the road this season.
Stopping Bills QB Josh Allen is a difficult task, especially if a team may struggle to generate pressure. In 16 games, he's tied for seventh in the league in passing TDs (27) and third in QBR (68.2). As of Monday, ESPNBet lists Buffalo as a three-point favorite.
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