MIAMI GARDENS — Miami Dolphins safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, who has been a leader in the secondary, is considered week-to-week with a calf injury, according to coach Mike McDaniel, who added the ailment doesn’t seem to be season ending.
The calf injury “surprised” Fitzpatrick, McDaniel said, adding “He was pretty scared about it at first.”
There are only three games left in the season and the Dolphins (6-8) have been eliminated from playoff contention. Fitzpatrick (82 tackles, third on the team, one interception, one sack, one pass breakup, one forced fumble, two fumbles recovered) went down in Monday’s 28-15 loss at Pittsburgh but walked off the field on his own.
If Fitzpatrick doesn’t start the Dolphins will choose his replacement among a collection of safeties that includes Ashtyn Davis, Iffy Melinfonwu, Dante Trader and Elijah Campbell.
One major complication of replacing Fitzpatrick, aside from the overall talent, would be finding a replacement nickel or slot cornerback, a position Fitzpatrick handles.
Thoughts on the season; identity found
A few Dolphins players shared their thoughts on the season after Monday’s loss at Pittsburgh and the consensus was that it was an uneven season that should have been better. But the Dolphins say they found an identity as a running team.
“A lot of ebbs and flows,” left tackle Patrick Paul said about the season. “We knew that before this (Pittsburgh game) we’d have to win out to have a shot in it, and ultimately we didn’t get there so we just have to keep going, win out on these last games and learn from it.”
Paul added it was an “up and down year and I think we found our identity in the middle of the season.”
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Center Aaron Brewer said the season has been a “roller coaster.”
“It started down and we started making a comeback so we showed our identity,” he said, adding, “we’ve got three games left and I expect everybody on the team to still show their heart and their pride that we presented the last four weeks and show we can still finish strong and show what we can do for the season ahead.”
Running back De’Von Achane, noting the Dolphins started 0-3, 1-6 and 2-7, said the season included “a lot of ups and downs, a lot of adversity. We saw what type of team we can be, and I feel like we dug ourselves in this hole.”
Asked whether the Dolphins’ identity should be as a running team, Achane replied, “I’m a running back, so of course I’m going to say yeah. I just run what they call. Whatever he calls I go out there and we have to try to execute it.”
Run defense struggles again
Pittsburgh rushed for 135 yards and two touchdowns on 35 carries Monday. The Dolphins’ up-and-down run defense had a down night, and has now allowed three of its last six opponents (Baltimore, Washington, Pittsburgh) to rush for at least 135 yards while holding three of the last six opponents (Buffalo, New Orleans, New York Jets) to fewer than 90 yards.
Dolphins on the brink of unenviable mark
One more loss and the Dolphins are assured of back-to-back losing seasons for the first time since the 2018-19 rebuild when they went 7-9 in the final year of coach Adam Gase and 5-11 in the first year of coach Brian Flores.
Waddle making low-key impact
Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle (59 receptions, 838 yards, six touchdowns) hasn’t been a major factor for the Dolphins in the past five games, including their four-game winning streak. In the last five games Waddle has averaged 3.6 receptions per game, 50.4 receiving yards per game, and has two touchdowns.
