MIAMI GARDENS — The Miami Dolphins are still working through the possibility of either Kion Smith or Daniel Brunskill — and maybe even Cole Strange — starting at right guard in Monday night’s game against the New York Jets.
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel said the competition this week is continuing through Saturday ahead of “Monday Night Football.”
“We’ve had a good work week, and there has been competition,” McDaniel said. “After (Saturday) and, Monday night, you’ll find out who was the leader in the clubhouse to start the game.”
Smith has handled the responsibility since starter and offseason free agent signing James Daniels injured a pectoral muscle three plays into the season. But in Smith’s second start, last week at the Buffalo Bills, he was replaced in-game by veteran Daniel Brunskill.
Smith played the first 36 offensive snaps, and Brunskill took the final 25.
“In the moment, there were a couple things that occurred that we thought Daniel’s veteran presence would be able to help us with,” offensive coordinator Frank Smith said Friday. “It was a decision made at the moment that we thought would help. Ultimately, we talked with Kion. He’s a great guy and he understands and he’s preparing. We’re all working together to make sure we can be on the same page and be successful Monday.”
Smith added then the Dolphins were working through all the variables of what could transpire Monday.
Strange, a recent signing in-season, is also potentially in the mix.
“He’s really attacked the technique and fundamentals that we use,” McDaniel said. “He’s really made himself part of the crew just by his buy-in. … He’s had a good week.”
As Kion Smith was replaced and not due to injury, Brunskill wasn’t particularly pleased with his play after getting thrown in at guard but mostly preparing as a backup center.
“A lot to work on,” Brunskill recapped this past week. “Getting in there, trying to get back in a rhythm, but I’ve taken thousands of reps, so there’s no excuses for anything like that.”
Particularly, Brunskill allowed pressure in the face of quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on his late interception.
“I tried to get aggressive and jump the D-lineman,” Brunskill explained. “He timed it up. He was playing pass, and it was just a good play by him. I got to get connected at some point. I can’t just whiff on the play. That was on me. I was trying to get aggressive on a first-and-10. We were moving the drive pretty well, so thought I could get aggressive right there and that was the mistake I made.”
Waller ready
Dolphins tight end Darren Waller is confirmed ready to debut for the Monday night game, barring any setback to his hip at Saturday’s practice.
McDaniel said Waller “looks firmly ready to contribute” on Saturday.
Waller came out of retirement to play with the Dolphins this season, but he started camp on the physically-unable-to-play list. After being activated off PUP in the preseason, he suffered a setback and missed Miami’s first three games.
Waller is expected to be on a limited snap count Monday night, possibly highlighted in the red zone.
“He looks ready. He feels ready,” McDaniel said. “There’s going to be those game-day jitters that everyone loves as a player. I’m sure he’ll be very fired up to get the first rep out of the way and so on and so forth.”
The only Dolphins players on the active roster expected to miss the game due to injury are cornerbacks Storm Duck (ankle) and Jason Marshall Jr. (hamstring).
Fields to start for Jets
Jets quarterback Justin Fields cleared concussion protocol in time for the Monday night game.
New York coach Aaron Glenn said Fields will start after he already underwent two full practice sessions Thursday and Friday.
“It takes a coordinated effort. It really does,” McDaniel said of stopping Fields. “He stretches the field from sideline to sideline with his legs and doubles down on that with the width and length of the field with his arm talent.”
This story will be updated.
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