Jaylen Waddle, Raheem Mostert injury updates; Dolphins playoff scenarios
The Miami Dolphins are expected to again be without wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and running back Raheem Mostert for Sunday night’s clash for the AFC East with the Buffalo Bills.
With the two dealing with ankle injuries, NFL Network reported the expectation that both miss the game against the Bills early Sunday morning, and ESPN has also reported the duo of offensive playmakers are likely out.
The game’s inactive players will officially be announced 90 minutes before the 8:20 p.m. kickoff at Hard Rock Stadium.
Both also missed last week’s 56-19 loss to the Baltimore Ravens with the ankle ailments suffered Dec. 24 against the Dallas Cowboys. Without Mostert and Waddle, that’s 2,213 total yards of offense Miami is missing, as Mostert has surpassed 1,000 yards rushing and Waddle 1,000 yards receiving.
The two missed Wednesday and Thursday practices this past week before trying to test their ankles at Friday drills. They entered Sunday questionable to play.
Also questionable for Miami are safety Jevon Holland and linebacker Jerome Baker.
Holland was downgraded to questionable Saturday after not having a game status designation Friday. He’s playing through the lingering MCL sprains to both knee.
Baker was just activated off injured reserve for his knee injury Saturday and is expected to play. He took the spot that outside linebacker Bradley Chubb vacated with his placement on IR due to a torn ACL in his right knee. Edge rusher Melvin Ingram was elevated from the practice squad Saturday.
Playoff scenarios
The Dolphins’ playoff matchup scenarios were simplified ahead of Sunday night based on the Jacksonville Jaguars’ loss to the Tennessee Titans earlier Sunday and Saturday’s Pittsburgh Steelers win over Baltimore.
If the Dolphins defeat the Bills, which seals the AFC East and No. 2 seed in the playoffs, a rematch with Buffalo right back at Hard Rock Stadium is in order next weekend.
A Dolphins loss to the Bills means Miami falls to No. 6 as a wild card and travels to Kansas City to face the No. 3 Chiefs. Buffalo is then No. 2, winning the AFC East and facing the No. 7 Steelers.
Miami and Buffalo could tie Sunday night, which also accomplishes a division title for the Dolphins the same as a win. Miami would then get the Steelers in the first round, with the Bills finishing sixth.
Dates and times of matchups are to be announced after the completion of Sunday night’s game. For wild-card weekend, there are two Saturday games, three Sunday slots and a Monday night game.
2024 schedule
The Dolphins have three opponents to be determined based on teams that finish in the same position in the AFC West, AFC North and NFC North. They would host the AFC West opponent and visit the other two.
A Miami win Sunday night means the team travels to Baltimore and Detroit for the Ravens and Lions next season, while hosting the Chiefs.
A Dolphins loss and drop to No. 2 in the AFC East means they will visit Cleveland to match up with the Browns, play Sunday’s Raiders-Broncos winner at home and play at the team that finishes second in the NFC North, which is the Green Bay Packers’ to hold if they win at home against the Chicago Bears.
In 2024, aside from the usual home-and-homes against the Dolphins’ three divisional opponents of Bills, New York Jets and New England Patriots, the entire AFC East plays against the entire AFC South and NFC West.
The Dolphins have home games against the Jaguars, Titans, San Francisco 49ers and Arizona Cardinals. They have away games against the Texans, Colts, Los Angeles Rams and Seattle Seahawks.
Dates and times for all matchups will be announced in May.
