Injury Report: Dan Campbell Hopes Home Cooking Will Be Winning Recipe In Dolphins Vs. Ravens Clash
By Abraham Gutierrez
Hoping some home cooking will be the recipe to snap an ugly two-game skid, the Miami Dolphins will host the Baltimore Ravens in Week 13 of the 2015 NFL season with no shortage of injuries. On Friday afternoon, coach Dan Campbell and his staff submitted the official injury report for this week's action, and the result is 15 hobbled Fins players.
From that extensive list, three players have been officially ruled out, two are listed as questionable, and, the good news is that the rest, 10 to be exact, are probable to play at Sun Life Stadium. Opening kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET live on CBS Sports.
The three Miami players expected to be in civilian clothes this week are right tackle Ja'Wuan James (toe), defensive tackle Earl Mitchell (calf) and – by far the biggest absentee for the Fins – wide receiver Rishard Matthews (ribs).
In such a pivotal game, there's no question the Dolphins will miss Mitchell's presence on (22 tackles) the D-line, but the fact that they will be without Ryan Tannehill's second favorite target will be a huge void.
Matthews, who's nursing cracked ribs, enters Week 13 trailing only Jarvis Landry in receptions (43) and receiving yards (662), but the University of Nevada product is currently tied for team-honors in touchdown catches.
Unfortunately, that's not the only cause for concern for coach Campbell and his staff this week, as two other key players are also in danger of sitting this one out.
Listed as questionable, the statuses of center Mike Pouncey (foot) and wide receiver Kenny Stills (ankle) will be a game-time decision. Pouncey is a two-time Pro Bowler (2013-14) who has started in 11 games this season, while Stills come in as Miami's fifth leading receiver with 20 grabs for 343 yards and two scores.
The remaining 10 players are all listed as probable to play, which is always a good sign for a team needing all hands on deck. Some of the more notable names on this optimistic list include the aforementioned Landry (knee) who was limited in practice, along with linebackers Koa Misi (abdomen) and Jelani Jenkins (ankle), tight end Dion Sims (neck) and tackle Branden Albert (NIR).
Miami Dolphins NFL Week 13 Injury Report & Game Statuses
Probable:
(LB) Jelani Jenkins (Ankle) - Limited Participation in Practice
(RB) Jay Ajayi (Shoulder) - Full Participation in Practice
(LB) Chris McCain (Hip) - Full Participation in Practice
(TE) Dion Sims (Neck) - Full Participation in Practice
(LB) Koa Misi (Abdomen) - Limited Participation in Practice
(T) Branden Albert (Not Injury Related) - Full Participation in Practice
(LB) Kelvin Sheppard (Hamstring) - Full Participation in Practice
(DT) Jordan Phillips (Shoulder) - Limited Participation in Practice
(WR) Jarvis Landry (Knee) - Limited Participation in Practice
(S) Shamiel Gary (Foot) - Full Participation in Practice
Questionable:
(C) Mike Pouncey (Foot) - Limited Participation in Practice
(WR) Kenny Stills (Ankle) - Limited Participation in Practice
Out:
(T) Ja'Wuan James (Toe) - Did Not Participate In Practice
(DT) Earl Mitchell (Calf) - Did Not Participate In Practice
(WR) Rishard Matthews (Ribs) - Did Not Participate In Practice
Abe Gutierrez's (Twitter: @GutierrezAbe) passion led him to ditch law school journey in order to launch his own publishing company. His expertise make him a valued addition to Examiner.com, AXS.com and the CBS-Sports family. Some of his work can be found on CBS-Miami (Dolphins), CBS-LosAngeles (Chargers), CBS-BayArea (Raiders), CBS-NewYork (NY Jets), CBS-TampaBay (Buccaneers), AXS.com, Examiner.com and other online publications.
