Dolphins lose three more key players for the postseason

The Miami Dolphins are simply running out of bodies at this point.  Mike McDaniel met with the media on Monday afternoon and announced that three more players are out for the playoffs with various injuries sustained in Miami's 21-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night.  LB Jerome Baker (wrist), OLB Andrew Van Ginkel […]

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The Miami Dolphins are simply running out of bodies at this point. 

Mike McDaniel met with the media on Monday afternoon and announced that three more players are out for the playoffs with various injuries sustained in Miami's 21-14 loss to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday night. 

LB Jerome Baker (wrist), OLB Andrew Van Ginkel (foot), and OLB Cameron Goode (knee) are all done for the season. 

Done for the postseason

"Jerome will be out as well," McDaniel said.  "Injured his wrist.  Had to have surgery."

As far as Van Ginkel, McDaniel admitted that the timetable for his recovery is a bit cloudy, but also believes he will be out for the playoffs as well.  

"The timetable is kind of up in the air with regard to how they're going to treat it, but he won't be back for this postseason." 

On Cameron Goode, McDaniel confirmed that his knee injury is a torn patellar tendon, which will obviously sideline him for well beyond the postseason. 

"It was on the punt return for a touchdown.  He tore his patellar [tendon]."

A death blow for the pass rush

The loss is obviously a devastating one in multiple respects.  The Dolphins struggled to get to the Josh Allen for much of the night.  It took all-out blitzes dialed up by Vic Fangio to get Allen to release the ball quickly or evade pressure.  

Now, you can subtract Van Ginkel and Goode from the equation off the edge, which leaves just Emmanuel Ogbah and Melvin Ingram as pass rushers on the roster at this point.  McDaniel even acknowledged the likelihood that someone that will be playing on Saturday isn't on the roster at the moment. 

A trusted voice is out

Baker's loss is even worse.  Although he's an inside backer, he still provides a pass rushing element to his game as a blitzer.  Miami desperately needs every option possible to get after the passer, so that hurts.  

He also is the play caller for the defense, so his experience and smarts against one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL in Patrick Mahomes is a doubly brutal blow for McDaniel's defense.  

There's no question the clock is ticking on the Miami Dolphins.  On their season.  On their ability to find someone in free agency that can help extend it another week.  

Can they find an answer before time runs out? 

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