As a lot because the Dolphins are driving excessive, the Sunday night information on defensive finish Emmanuel Ogbah’s harm put a slight damper on Miami’s 39-17 win over the Cleveland Browns that put the workforce atop the AFC East at 7-3 heading into the bye week.
Ogbah’s season, already crammed with disappointment, got here to an finish, in response to a league supply, after a triceps tear that can require surgical procedure.
He was initially stated to have exited Sunday’s recreation at Hard Rock Stadium with an elbow harm when he left within the second quarter of the convincing victory.
Ogbah, who turned 29 on Nov. 6, by no means actually appeared like himself this season after signing a four-year, $65 million contract minutes earlier than his free company would’ve opened as much as different groups in March.
He recorded only one sack and 11 tackles in eight video games performed.
That for a defensive finish that led the Dolphins with 9 sacks every of the previous two seasons with the intention to earn that type of deal.
In the previous, he had stretches the place the sacks weren’t coming however he was nonetheless simply lacking them, a step sluggish with quarterback hits as an alternative. But even there, Ogbah’s seven on the 12 months was off the tempo of the 24 and 21 he had in 2021 and 2020, respectively.
A trademark of Ogbah’s recreation had grow to be getting his hand up and deflecting passes on the line of scrimmage when he couldn’t attain the passer, however he wasn’t doing that both. He was with no go deflection after ending with an astonishing 12 final season.
The excellent news for Miami is the workforce only recently set itself as much as be higher ready to take care of such a loss, buying standout edge defender Bradley Chubb in a take care of the Denver Broncos on the commerce deadline two weeks in the past.
Despite by no means having the Ogbah that Dolphins followers have grow to be accustomed to seeing on the sting the previous two years, the workforce can make the most of extra defensive traces of Raekwon Davis flanked by Christian Wilkins and Zach Sieler on both facet of him.
With 4 stable exterior linebackers in Chubb, Jaelan Phillips, Melvin Ingram and Andrew Van Ginkel, defensive coordinator Josh Boyer can go for extra packages the place Chubb or Phillips have a hand within the floor in a three-man entrance.
Various combos of front-seven defenders obtained to Browns quarterback Jacoby Brissett on Sunday, and all three Dolphins sacks have been cut up between two rushers bringing him down. Miami obtained 14 quarterback hits on Brissett.
It hurts that the Dolphins misplaced Trey Flowers for the season a month again. Otherwise, he may play a bigger position within the workforce’s effort to exchange Ogbah, who missed one recreation beforehand, on Oct. 23 in opposition to the Steelers with a again ailment. An exterior possibility will possible get a glance this week.
But the Dolphins are in an general constructive spot, on a four-game successful streak to get to 7-3 and sitting alone atop the AFC East with an idle week on faucet. On the opposite facet of the bye is a house recreation in opposition to the Houston Texans (1-7) that takes Miami via the top of the November.
Then, it’s a difficult closing month-plus stretch: at San Francisco, at Los Angeles Chargers, at Buffalo, vs. Green Bay, at New England and a house finale in opposition to the New York Jets.
The Dolphins await phrase Monday on cornerback and particular teamer Keion Crossen’s shoulder harm that additionally prompted him to exit within the first half Sunday.
This story might be up to date.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com