Tyreek Hill was succinct about his pending playing status ahead of Week 8, but his answer was enough to let the media know the Miami Dolphins Pro Bowl wide receiver plans to play vs. the New England Patriots.
His head coach, though, is one of the voices who has the final say on if a player is healthy enough to suit up. And in the case of Mike McDaniel, he’s in a position where he’ll be calling plays for his explosive wideout currently dealing with a hip ailment.
Mike McDaniel Anticipates Tyreek Hill Will Be in Action
Speaking with the Miami media Friday ahead of the AFC East showdown, McDaniel was asked if Cheetah would be ready to go.
MORE: Miami Dolphins Depth Chart
McDaniel began with a Halloween reference before answering.
“There’s no trick or treating for his kids, right?” McDaniel asked the media. “Yeah, I would expect him to play, for sure. He’s done well.”
Then, the second-year head coach compared handling Hill to handling a notable exotic car.
“We’re very proactive with our – it’d be like, would you run on ‘E’ if you had a Ferrari? You’d probably make sure it had gas. You take care of it on the front end. An emissions check would be something you’d get done early,” McDaniel said.
But then came some football speak from McDaniel that points to Hill being ready to go despite his bad hip: Hill delivered a strong practice outing on Friday.
“Our proactive work proved very well served yesterday as he had a phenomenal practice, and I expect him to be full Tyreek energy today,” McDaniel said.
What Type of Pass Defense Is Hill Facing in New England?
By being good to go, here’s what Hill is walking into for this division battle against the team that upset the defending division champion Buffalo Bills a week ago:
- The Patriots are close to the middle of the pack in pass defense by allowing the 17th-fewest yards in the league. But the Pats are tied with eight other teams in surrendering the third-fewest touchdown passes at eight.
- New England, under longtime head coach Bill Belichick, is yet to allow a 300-yard passer this season despite its 2-5 start. In three of their seven games, the Patriots surrendered fewer than 170 yards through the air.
- The team recently welcomed back past star J.C. Jackson via trade to help bolster the unit. Safety Jabrill Peppers has provided an enforcer type in the secondary.
The Pats, however, haven’t been consistent ball hawks with just three interceptions through seven games.
How Has Hill Done in the Past vs. New England?
Hill, surprisingly, hasn’t always put together his best games against a Belichick-led defense.
He had early success with getting 133 and 142 receiving yards in his first two NFL games vs. New England. But since then, Hill hasn’t surpassed 100 yards.
Even in his first season with Miami and facing the Pats twice a year, Hill was still contained below the 100-yard mark. His best outing was a 94-yard afternoon on Sept. 11, 2022.
Earlier this season, he caught five passes but was held to 40 yards. Yet, his Dolphins won 24-17.
And despite his numbers, Hill is still 5-2 overall vs. the Patriots in his career.
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