The Miami Dolphins will be without one of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa's most explosive playmakers for Sunday's clash against the Baltimore Ravens with major playoff implications at stake.
On Friday, the Dolphins ruled Jaylen Waddle out for Week 17 after the star wide receiver suffered an ankle injury in last weekend's victory over the Dallas Cowboys.
The #Dolphins ruled out WR Jaylen Waddle (ankle) for Sunday's pivotal matchup vs. the Baltimore Ravens. pic.twitter.com/HXdowMQT5W
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 29, 2023
Waddle caught one pass for 50 yards, underscoring his explosiveness in the passing game, against the Cowboys before getting injured.
Losing Waddle is a tough blow both for the Dolphins' passing attack and for the 25-year-old wide receiver who was in the midst of one of the most prolific seasons of his young career.
Through 14 games this season, Waddle had caught 72 passes for 1,014 yards with four touchdowns.
In the wake of Waddle's absence, the Dolphins will likely turn to burner Tyreek Hill to take on an expanded role in the passing game, against one of the league's stingiest defenses.
Hill enters Week 17 with 106 receptions for a league-high 1,641 yards and 12 touchdowns. The impact Hill has made on the Dolphins' offense since his arrival prior to the 2022 campaign is almost immeasurable, in terms of the space his speed creates underneath for Miami's ground attack as well as the attention he carries away from Waddle in the deep secondary.
Not only is Hill averaging 15.5 yards per reception, but according to Pro Football Focus, Tagovailoa has a 131.8 passer rating when targeting the 29-year-old speedster.
Hill will likely be pivotal to the Dolphins' success on offense, as Baltimore brings the league's top-ranked passing defense into the game, holding opponents to just 193.8 passing yards per game.
Miami has already secured a playoff berth, but the Dolphins could use a victory to create further separation from the Buffalo Bills in what has suddenly become a tightly contested race for the AFC East crown. The Dolphins enter Sunday at 11-4 while the Bills are 9-6. Likewise, a win against the Ravens would go a long way towards Miami securing home-field advantage throughout the AFC Playoffs as the No. 1 seed.
