Miami Dolphins All-Pro cornerback Xavien Howard didn’t journey with the staff on Saturday forward of Sunday’s sport on the Lions for private causes however plans to get to Detroit individually, the staff introduced.
According to a supply, Howard had a dying within the household and is attending a funeral on Saturday.
Howard was already listed as questionable to play Sunday because of a groin harm. His standing for the 1 p.m. kickoff at Ford Field stays unchanged.
Howard’s availability is significant for a Dolphins secondary that has been devastated by harm with security Brandon Jones and cornerback Nik Needham misplaced for the season because of knee and Achilles accidents, respectively. Additionally, cornerback Byron Jones nonetheless doesn’t look like returning imminently from the physically-unable-to-perform listing as he’s but to renew follow. Fortunately for Miami, cornerbacks Kader Kohou and Keion Crossen, after lacking final week’s win over the Pittsburgh Steelers from indirect and knee illnesses, respectively, are set to return.
Howard, a Pro Bowl choice in three of the previous 4 seasons and All-Pro in 2020, is having an uneven 2022 season during which groin accidents have curtailed his effectiveness.
In the Sept. 18 Week 2 sport towards the Ravens in Baltimore, speedy wideout Rashod Bateman outran him for a 75-yard landing after a brief catch on a slant route. In the Sept. 29 loss on the Cincinnati Bengals, Tee Higgins beat him deep for a 59-yard landing. After lacking the next week’s sport on the New York Jets because of the unhealthy groins, the Minnesota Vikings’ Adam Thielen scored a key fourth-quarter landing towards Howard within the purple zone.
However, within the Dolphins’ final sport, the win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Howard seemed to be returning to kind. He locked down Steelers receivers on his aspect of the sphere, and Pittsburgh quarterback Kenny Pickett hardly ever challenged him, resulting in interceptions for 3 different Dolphins defensive backs — security Jevon Holland and fellow cornerbacks Noah Igbinoghene and Justin Bethel.
Howard additionally began the 2022 season on a excessive observe. In the primary defensive collection of the opening-week win over the New England Patriots on Sept. 11, he tipped a go to the tip zone supposed for former Miami receiver DeVante Parker, permitting Holland to intercept it.
Miami additionally had damaging harm information Saturday.
Wide receiver River Cracraft, who was not beforehand on the staff’s harm report, was dominated out for Sunday’s sport at Detroit because of a neck harm.
The Dolphins elevated extensive receiver Braylon Sanders and security Verone McKinley from the follow squad to the lively roster for Sunday’s sport.
McKinley, who will get his third and last call-up earlier than the staff has to determine if it needs to signal him to the 53-man roster to convey him up once more, helps with depth for Miami’s depleted secondary. The staff might use some mixture of him, Eric Rowe and Clayton Fejedelem in changing Brandon Jones on the robust security spot.
Fejedelem (groin) is one in all six Dolphins questionable towards the Lions. Along with Howard, Miami additionally has defensive finish Emmanuel Ogbah (again), tight finish Durham Smythe (hamstring), punter Thomas Morstead (sickness) and tight finish Tanner Conner (knee) questionable.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com