Abbotsford-born Chase Claypool faces a spell on the sidelines after undergoing knee surgery, adding to the Miami Dolphins’ recent injury concerns. The Dolphins are in a prime position to top the AFC East, but could injuries to their wide receivers dampen their chances of a run at the Super Bowl?
Injuries affecting Miami Dolphins Super Bowl chances
An impressive start to their season, in which they won five of their opening six games, saw the Dolphins climb the Super Bowl betting favourites. They are now fourth favourites to lift the Vince Lombardi trophy at 8/1, trailing the San Francisco 49ers (9/2), and joint-favourites Kansas City Chiefs (4/1) and Philadelphia Eagles (4/1).
It was in fact the Philadelphia Eagles tipped to go all the way in Paddy Power’s NFL betting tips prior to the season starting. After their 21-17 win over the reigning champions Kansas, there won’t be much betting against Philly to get their hands on a second Super Bowl. There is every chance we see a repeat of last season’s epic match, in which the Chiefs edged out the Eagles 38-35.
However, the Dolphins have excelled this season and will be eyeing up Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas, Nevada themselves. Although Mike McDaniel has consistently had to deal with a long injury list this season, Miami has routinely managed to get over the line in matches. Will they continue their fine form, or could we see the injuries starting to impact their record?
Alternative match-winners
Chase Claypool has featured just three times since trading Chicago for Miami, registering one reception for 15 yards. It’s safe to say his Dolphins career has started slowly.
Luckily for Miami, they have plenty of other options when it comes to winning games. Tyreek Hill shoulders most of the receiving responsibility, and he does so with a dynamism that ranks him among the best receivers in the league. Hill has already racked up over 1,000 receiving yards this season and has scored more touchdowns than any receiver on the Dolphins roster.
Even if the injuries at wide receiver did continue for Miami, they can always rely on their rushing game thanks to Raheem Mostert. The 31-year-old has already carried for more than 600 yards and has 10+ touchdowns to his name, making this by far his most prolific individual season to date.
If all else fails, Tua Tagovailoa can do it all himself! The Hawaiian quarterback has set the NFL alight this season, with around 3,000 passing yards and 20+ touchdowns. He’s also on track to deliver an all-time individual scoring season, all while being sacked fewer times than ever before in his young career. The Dolphins are one of the most well-rounded outfits in the league, and Tua is the driving force behind their success.
<blockquote class=”twitter-tweet”><p lang=”en” dir=”ltr”>Tua Tagovailoa now leads the league in passing touchdowns with 21 🔥 <a href=”https://t.co/es89BKXD4a”>pic.twitter.com/es89BKXD4a</a></p>— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) <a href=”https://twitter.com/brgridiron/status/1726317969268207991?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw”>November 19, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src=”https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js” charset=”utf-8″></script>
When will Claypool be back in action?
It remains to be seen how long it will take for Claypool to recover from his injury. The knee surgery he underwent was assessed as minor, meaning he might return to action before the end of the regular season.
The Canadian may not have featured much in the Miami attack this season, but when it comes to winning a Super Bowl, it is crucial for the head coach to have every weapon at his disposal.
