Mike McDaniel shares positive outlook for injured Miami Dolphins OL ahead of New York Jets game

Published by

Peter Dewey

2 years ago

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports

Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel provided a positive outlook for the injured Miami Dolphins offensive line on Wednesday.

McDaniel is optimistic that both Austin Jackson and Lester Cotton will be able to play in the team’s Week 12 matchup against the New York Jets. The Dolphins head coach also believes that guard Robert Hunt will dress on Friday.

It is great news for the Dolphins, as all three players are listed as starters on the team’s depth chart.

Jackson is listed as the starting right tackle for Miami, while Cotton (left guard) and Hunt (right guard) man the interior of the Dolphins’ offensive line.

The Jets have a solid pass rush, so Miami surely wants as many offensive linemen healthy as possible. New York has 26 sacks this season and is allowing the fifth fewest passing yards per game in the league.

So far this season, Jackson has played every snap for Miami on offense. A former first-round pick, Jackson is hoping to show that he can be a cornerstone for the team’s offensive line moving forward.

Hunt was injured in the team’s Week 8 game against the New England Patriots, playing just 35 percent of the offensive snaps in that matchup. He has missed the Dolphins’ last two games against the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders.

While McDaniel believes that the guard will dress, there is no guarantee that former second-round pick plays in the team’s Week 12 matchup on Friday.

Cotton did not open the season as a starter for the Dolphins, but he has started the team’s last three games against New England, Kansas City and Las Vegas.

A product of the University of Alabama, Cotton has started just four of the 25 games that he’s appeared in during his NFL career.

Miami is looking to pick up a big win in Week 12 against the Jets to keep itself atop the AFC East division. The Dolphins enter the game with a 7-3 record, and they are firmly in the race for the No. 1 seed in the AFC after the Chiefs lost in Week 11 to the Philadelphia Eagles.

Friday’s matchup between the Jets and Dolphins is scheduled to kick off at 3 p.m. EST.

Peter Dewey

Peter is a graduate of Quinnipiac University where he covered the MAAC and college basketball for three years. He has worked for NBC Sports, the Connecticut Sun and the Meriden Record-Journal covering basketball and other major sports. Follow him on Twitter @peterdewey2.