Bad news: In the second half of the Miami Dolphins’ game against the New York Jets, outside linebacker A PLAYER sustained an injury.
The injury was the worst that Phillips had experienced during a difficult season that also included back and oblique injuries.
After returning to health, Phillips has been playing well lately. In eight games this season, he has 6.5 sacks, two passes defensed, and one interception.
After the Miami Dolphins’ victory over the New York Jets on Black Friday, there was some sadness and frustration in addition to satisfaction.
The focal point of the entire incident was outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips, who was carted off the field in the second half due to an Achilles injury that, according to head coach Mike McDaniel, “doesn’t look great.”
In a social media post on Friday night, Phillips appeared to validate the worst suspicions.
Naturally, the worry is that Phillips will miss the 2023 season due to a ruptured right Achilles tendon.
The injury happened in the second half of the Dolphins’ 34-13 victory at MetLife Stadium, without any contact. Phillips initiated his pass rush.
Phillips was wheeled off the field after McDaniel entered the field to see how the 2021 first-round pick was doing.
“He’s the type of person and he has the right mind-set where he’ll be able to turn anything that’s perceived as negative into eventual positive,” McDaniel stated. “But this is going to be tough and trying for him as we get our information back and prepare ourselves for the worst-case scenario.”
He had a sack and nearly recovered for a safety in the first quarter of the Jets game as he was about to throw Tim Boyle into the end zone, but the quarterback of the team got rid of the ball in the direction of a receiver to avoid an intentional grounding call.
With the sack, he now has at least one in five straight games; last Sunday’s 20-13 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders saw him record two. Paradoxically, prior to this season, Phillips had not missed a single game due to an injury, having participated in all 17 games in 2021 and 2022.
DISAPPOINTMENT AND FRUSTRATION AMONG PHILLIPS’ TEAMMATES, The injury to Phillips occurred on the same field where, unless he made an incredible comeback in December, future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ first season with the Jets ended after less than a quarter of play.
MetLife Stadium is not a favorite place when it comes to NFL players and that unforgiving turf — and the occasional non-contact injuries that it produces — is the reason.
“Especially playing on this turf,” Dolphins running back Raheem Mostert said after the game, “no player wants to go down with a significant injury. You saw what happened to [Aaron] Rodger the very first gam within the first series, it just sucks.
I have no doubt that JP will turn his mental health around and return stronger than before. However, this playing surface and turf need to be addressed. Even after attempting to ascertain potential solutions, it remains evidently a significant issue. I have no idea. It simply needs to alter.
Even harsher criticism of MetLife Stadium came from Jevon Holland, who claimed his late-game knee injury was “nothing”.
“My homeboy, Jamal Perry, ended up going down my rookie year,” Holland remarked. Similar in some ways. Although I’m not familiar with the numbers or anything, I am aware that playing on turf increases the risk of injury, so that field is garbage.
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