The Miami Dolphins are looking to bounce back from last week’s Sunday Night Football loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, and having the team’s most productive offensive weapons would go a long way toward accomplishing that goal.
Luckily for head coach Mike McDaniel and Co., Miami’s blazing-fast playmakers are trending in the right direction for Sunday’s Week 8 divisional showdown with the New England Patriots.
Tyreek Hill, Raheem Mostert Likely To Play in Week 8
Tyreek Hill scared all of South Florida when he missed Wednesday’s practice with a hip injury. The Sunshine State (at least the southern half) then breathed a collective sigh of relief when he suited up for Thursday’s practice and told reporters, “I just wanted some attention, man, because my mom wouldn’t talk to me yesterday, so I needed some attention from somebody. I’m good, though.”
McDaniel confirmed Hill’s optimistic outlook on the superstar wideout’s status, saying on Friday, “I would expect [Hill] to play. For sure.” It sounds like Wednesday’s absence was more about maintenance than anything else for Tua Tagovailoa’s number one weapon.
“Would you run on E if you had a Ferrari? You’d probably make sure it has gas. Take care of it on the front end,” McDaniel told reporters. The comparison to a Ferrari is, of course, an apt one. Hill has the fastest recorded speed of any ball carrier this season, a 22.01 mph sprint on a 64-yard reception against the New York Giants in Week 5.
As for Mostert, his status is on the upswing ahead of Sunday’s contest. “Getting himself ready for Sunday, he’s very good at that,” McDaniel noted when asked about his starting RB. Mostert missed Wednesday’s practice with an ankle issue before returning on Thursday for a limited session. “I was very happy with the way he looked yesterday. We’ll see how that plays out,” McDaniel said on Friday.
On Friday, Mostert told NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe that he’s expecting to play on Sunday, saying that the ankle tweak that caused him to miss Wednesday’s practice was a minor issue.
Mostert, for the record, has the fifth-fastest recorded speed of any ball carrier this season with a 43-yard touchdown run in Week 2 against the Patriots. The only two players ahead of him? Hill (twice) and fellow Dolphins RB De’Von Achane (twice).
MORE: Dolphins’ Tyreek Hill Shares Strong Stance on Eagles’ Tush Push: ‘I Feel It’s Legal’
The 31-year-old brings both the lightning and the thunder to the RB position for Miami. He’s is sixth in the league in rushing yards (474), first in rushing touchdowns (nine), and second only to New York Jets RB Breece Hall in yards per carry (5.6) among running backs with at least 50 rushes on the year.
If the Dolphins list either of the team’s two offensive stars with an injury designation for Week 8, they’ll likely be on the right side of questionable.
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