Jordyn Brooks didn’t come off the field Sunday.
The Miami Dolphins inside linebacker played every defensive snap against the New England Patriots. And the Tennessee Titans. And the Seattle Seahawks. And the Buffalo Bills. And the Jacksonville Jaguars.
With a total of 287 snaps since the Sept. 8 season opener, Brooks, it’s safe to say, is certainly looking forward to the bye week.
“It’s a much-needed bye week,” Brooks said Monday afternoon, cracking a slight smile. “Much-needed for sure.”
The bye week couldn’t have come at a better time for the Dolphins. Not only does it give the team a chance to heal, it gives them a chance to iron out the mistakes ahead of the rest of the season. A win going into the bye put the team in a great head space, but even they know that Sunday’s victory of the Patriots wasn’t perfect.
“It’s a big relief,” veteran safety Marcus Maye said. “It’s hard to win in this league so as they come, you got to take them for what they are. But we know we didn’t play the game that we know we can play. Obviously there’s a few things to correct. But the way things have been, getting a win was our biggest thing.”
Added Brooks: “Everybody is just kind of even-keeled right now. It’s great to win, but I don’t think we won the way we wanted to win on either side of the ball. It kind of leaves you bittersweet just knowing that we left some plays out there that we could’ve taken advantage of to win in a better fashion. So it’s something to carry on through the bye week, things we have to get better at individually and as a team.”
Two valuable contributors in De’Von Achane and Jevon Holland sustained injuries in the Patriots game. While Achane will likely be out of concussion protocol before the Dolphins’ next matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, Holland is considered “week-to-week,” per coach Mike McDaniel. Not only will the bye give the Dolphins coaching staff clarity surrounding Holland and Achane’s availability, it will also give players such as Jordan Poyer (shin), Jeff Wilson Jr. (knee) and Skylar Thompson (ribs), all of whom were held out Sunday, a chance to get healthy. Plus, there’s the potential return of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, who will be eligible to practice following the Colts game, from injured reserve.
“There’s some expert consultation that he has scheduled for this week and then we’ll address the final stages of protocol won’t be achieved until we bring him back off IR and that first practice is had,” McDaniel said. When asked if a medical expert has advised him that Tagovailoa should be sidelined even after he clears concussion protocol, McDaniel was optimistic. “Nothing negative so far, but we’re still in the process.”
As the players mentioned, Sunday’s win was far from flawless . Presnap penalties still are a bit of an issue. The run defense hasn’t been great. Special teams were a bit of a disaster. And the passing game still lacks explosiveness. Still, the Dolphins managed to get the win behind a rushing attack, led by Raheem Mostert and Jaylen Wright, that accumulated nearly 200 yards.
“There was a really good feeling about getting the win but not nearly satisfied with the way that it unfolded,” McDaniel said.
With help on the way and the Dolphins only two games out of first place in the AFC East, all hope is not lost. Sure, the final six-game stretch — which includes a home matchups against the San Francisco 49ers but away games versus the Houston Texans, the Green Bay Packers and the New York Jets — is quite brutal but the playoffs are not yet out of reach. As Terron Armstead said, the Dolphins will continue to just take it one week at a time.
We’re “not looking down the road or at the standings either,” Armstead said. “It’s still early. We’re not focused on seed or position. We’re just trying to focus on what we got going on so Indy is next.”
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