Miami Dolphins: Reshad Jones Injury Leaves Secondary Hurting
Miami Dolphins Pro-Bowl safety Reshad Jones left Sunday’s game early with a torn rotator cuff injury and could be lost for the remainder of the season.
The Miami Dolphins 2016 season was circling the drain when the team faced the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Thanks to a stellar performance from the offensive line, and a career day from Jay Ajayi, they walked out with a win. But the excitement from that victory was soon tempered by the news of Reshad Jones’ injury and just how severe it may be.
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Reshad Jones left the game in the second half with a shoulder injury. The news came across the wire on Monday that the Pro Bowl safety has a torn rotator cuff. This injury could cost Jones the remainder of what has already been a disappointing season for the team.
Jones has been the lone bright spot on a defense that has struggled mightily throughout the season. The Miami Dolphins defense is ranked 28th in the league overall and Jones is the second-leading tackler on the team, with 51. With Jones missing significant time, the already-struggling cornerbacks are going to have an even more difficult time without their centerfield safety net.
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To say that the play from the cornerbacks group this season has been sub-par would be an understatement. Their highest-ranked corner this season, according to Pro Football Focus, is the newly-acquired Byron Maxwell. Maxwell, who was benched for sub-par performance in Week 4, is the 21st ranked cornerback in the league.
For comparison, that ranking puts him seven spots behind Jamar Taylor. Taylor was jettisoned to the Cleveland Browns in part to make room for Maxwell and Dolphins second-round pick Xavien Howard, who ranks 85th. Maxwell’s ranking also puts him two spots behind Brent Grimes, who was unceremoniously let go in the off-season and found his way to Tampa Bay.
After Maxwell, you don’t see another Miami Dolphins cornerback on the rankings until No. 46, with Bobby McCain. Then Tony Lippett rounds out the main chunk of the cornerbacks group, coming in at the 55th spot.
I know there are a lot of people out there who don’t put a much stock into PFF rankings. There’s a significant portion of pundits who think the rankings are a joke. But like them or not, they do a good job of illustrating just how much this injury is going to hurt the Dolphins secondary.
Losing one of the highest-ranked safeties in the league is bad enough. Combining the loss with one of the worst group of cornerbacks in the league is a recipe for disaster. Now, long-time Dolphins special teams contributor Michael Thomas will be stepping up to fill Jones’ shoes during the injury. He’s going to have his work cut out for him to simply maintain the level of play we’ve seen from the 2016 team. Let alone push the secondary to elevate their play.
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The Jones injury was the last thing the struggling Dolphins needed after what should have been a big win. Beating one of the AFC’s elite teams could have been a springboard to rebounding from an abysmal start. Instead, the Dolphins are now left scrambling to replace one of their leaders. It’s a tall task for certain. Sunday’s match-up with the Buffalo Bills will be pivotal in how the team bounces back.