The Miami Dolphins defeated the New York Jets 34-13 on Black Friday, but the victory came at a very high cost. Linebacker Jaelan Phillips suffered a torn Achilles and is out for the rest of the season.
The play in which Phillips was injured occurred during the fourth quarter without any contact involved. As expected, the situation reignited the debate about the state of the playing field at MetLife Stadium.
On September 11th, in the fourth play of the season, Aaron Rodgers suffered a very similar injury due to the turf field. Therefore, many players have demanded that the Jets change the playing surface in 2024.
At the moment, the Miami Dolphins are one of the top teams in the AFC with a record of 8-3 and will compete until the end for home-field advantage against the Baltimore Ravens (8-3) and the Kansas City Chiefs (7-3).
Jaelan Phillips is out for the remainder of the season with the Miami Dolphins
In recent weeks, the Miami Dolphins’ defense had greatly improved with the return of key players such as cornerback Jalen Ramsey. Now, just when that unit was healthy, Jaelan Phillips’ injury is a massive blow.
Phillips was the leader in sacks for the Dolphins (6.5) and he achieved that number in only eight games. Now, the responsibility to fill that role could fall on Emmanuel Ogbah, who just signed a four-year, $65 million contract extension.