Heavy Hard Knocks Episode 8 Provides Insight Into Key Miami Dolphins Injuries

The Miami Dolphins‘ events of the past seven days — the injuries, the Tyreek Hill house fire, the soul-crushing loss to the Buffalo Bills — guaranteed an emotional Hard Knocks Episode 8.

But the gifted people at NFL Films went above and beyond this week.

Hard Knocks built up the return of linebacker Jerome Baker, highlighted his biggest play of the year, and then closed with a gut punch: After a month of rehab, his season is over after a postgame X-ray revealed he dislocated a bone in his wrist, an injury that needed surgery.

Hard Knocks: In-Season With the Miami Dolphins Episode 8 Recap

Camera crews captured Baker’s agent, Drew Rosenhaus, breaking the news in the parking lot to the Dolphins’ linebacker’s mother, who had a starring role in Tuesday’s episode.

The Dolphins announced the next day that Baker wouldn’t play again this year.

They have yet to say the same about cornerback Xavien Howard, but the cast on his foot that camera crews captured during a team meeting spoke louder than any words.

MORE: What Can Justin Houston Give Miami’s Defense?

The Dolphins haven’t put Howard on IR, suggesting hope that he’ll play again this postseason. But it’s a pretty safe bet that he won’t this week against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Dolphins are traveling to Arrowhead Stadium instead of hosting the Bills for a second-straight week because of another blown second-half lead at home.

Time constraints prevent show editors from diving too deep into the game, but kudos to NFL Films for lingering on a speechless Mike McDaniel after Tua Tagovailoa threw a game-sealing interception on Miami’s final drive.

“This team will not f—ing tap at all,” McDaniel said in the postgame locker room. “… Nothing will break the men in this room. Nothing.”

More interesting bits of pieces of information to come out in Episode 8:

• Tyreek Hill’s home is uninhabitable after an accidental house fire last Wednesday. “The house is done bro,” Hill told teammates during a meeting. “Smoke damage, fire damage, the whole upstairs is burnt down.”
• It was great to see some of the Dolphins’ fine support staff get some attention. Val Tucci, their longtime receptionist, got some air time. And Hard Knocks spent several minutes telling the story of Dolphins director of team security Drew Brooks, who lost his son to brain cancer a decade ago.
• Shoutout to the banged-up Dolphins offensive line, which has had a dozen different iterations this year due to injuries. “We are riding the shoulders of you guys,” McDaniel said to the group in front of the team. “You are in the mode that you are f—ing up anybody you play.”

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