Just as Tua Tagovailoa is preparing to make his return, the Miami Dolphins have lost one of their best defensive players after a freak accident in practice this week.
With the Arizona Cardinals coming to town, the Dolphins have ruled out defensive tackle Zach Sieler after being poked in the eye this week. According to NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe and Ian Rapoport, Sieler suffered a fractured orbital bone.
The Dolphins just can't catch a break. It is not good news for a team that doesn't have great depth at the position.
If Emmanuel Ogbah can return to the field, he could slide inside to play with Calais Campbell. Ogbah shifted down last year in a situational role. If this happens, Tyus Bowser will man the edge opposite of Chop Robinson.
Sieler is one of the best players on the team and has become a leader on and off the field. He rates well in both run defense and pressuring the passer.
Zach Sieler isn't the only defensive player ruled out for Dolphins in Week 8
Head coach Mike McDaniel informed the media on Friday that cornerback Kader Kohou will miss Sunday's game. Cornerback Storm Duck, who has been dealing with an ankle injury this week, remains a question mark. With Kohou out and potentially Duck, Nik Needham should see more playing time.
The Dolphins' defense should be able to handle the Cardinals' rushing attack inside, even with Sieler out. Kyler Murray is a bigger threat to dissecting the Dolphins' defense than James Conner. Conner is having a good season and is already halfway to 1,000 yards with 504. He is the workhorse back for the Cardinals, but Murray is far more elusive and harder to tackle in the open field.
The Dolphins will have to rely more on guys like Benito Jones and Da'Shawn Hand this week. Hand has looked good when given the opportunity.