That is the week for the Miami Dolphins the place all their worlds collide.
Proprietor Steve Ross is finished with his suspension after Monday. Ex-coach Brian Flores, whose allegations towards his former staff sparked the penalty for his ex-boss, returns to South Florida because the Pittsburgh Steelers senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach in prime time on Sunday night time.
The Dolphins’ undefeated 1972 staff is being celebrated for its fiftieth anniversary. The present Dolphins, who seemed robust in beginning 3-0, have gone 0-3 since, the most recent loss being Sunday’s 24-16 defeat to the Minnesota Vikings.
All of it comes collectively as Miami hosts Pittsburgh (2-4) on NBC’s nationwide stage in an 8:20 p.m. kickoff at Arduous Rock Stadium, the Dolphins’ first “Sunday Night time Soccer” look since a 2017 residence loss to the Oakland Raiders.
Flores determined he was coming after Ross, the Dolphins and the NFL as a complete after he was surprisingly fired by Miami the Monday following the conclusion to the 2021 season final January. He filed a class-action lawsuit alleging racist hiring and retention practices across the league’s Black coaches.
Amongst claims in his lawsuit, Flores mentioned Ross supplied him monetary incentive to tank, or lose video games purposely to enhance draft positioning, and pressured him to take part in tampering for a participant that had not but develop into a free agent, which he didn't title however was quarterback Tom Brady.
A six-month NFL investigation, led by former U.S. Legal professional and SEC Chair Mary Jo White, concluded that the Dolphins didn't deliberately lose video games within the 2019 season and any $100,000 supply to take action that Flores claims was not meant to be taken as a severe supply. On the tampering entrance, nonetheless, the NFL deemed Miami had “impermissible communications” with Brady within the 2019-20 season and once more in 2021. It additionally mentioned the Dolphins did the identical with New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton’s agent, Don Yee.
The NFL took away the Dolphins’ 2023 first-round draft decide and 2024 third-round choice, fined Ross $1.5 million and suspended him by way of Oct. 17 (Monday).
In keeping with the NFL’s launch on Aug. 2: “Throughout this era, he might not be current on the Dolphins’ facility and will not signify the membership at any staff or NFL occasion. He could not attend any League assembly previous to the Annual Assembly in 2023, is faraway from all League committees indefinitely.”
A league spokesperson advised the South Florida Solar Sentinel that Ross was not banned from attending video games throughout that point.
“I’m excited to speak to him. I haven’t talked to him in a very long time,” Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel mentioned Monday. “The gamers actually respect him as a result of he permits myself, [general manager Chris Grier], everybody else within the group to do no matter it takes essential to attempt to produce a winner, and he provides us all of the assets doable.”
Flores was fired after going 24-25 in three seasons main the Dolphins, however Ross cited his lack of communication and collaboration as the rationale for the transfer.
“It’s simply enterprise as standard,” mentioned Dolphins defensive lineman Christian Wilkins of getting his former coach on the opponent’s sideline. “We’re making ready to play the Steelers and clearly there’s historical past there with ‘Flo’ and every part, however we’re simply making ready enterprise as standard, preparing for the Steelers.”
Added offensive guard Robert Hunt: “I’ll say ‘what’s up?’ to him after the sport.”
Within the midst of that reunion of a disconcerting period in Miami’s franchise historical past, the Dolphins will probably be celebrating a time that was unblemished.
Members of the 1972 “good” staff, which went 17-0 en path to the franchise’s first of two Tremendous Bowls, will probably be honored throughout pregame and halftime ceremonies towards the Steelers. The present Dolphins will put on throwback jerseys with a commemorative patch.
The Dolphins enter 3-3. Some followers would possibly suppose they might be 6-0 if quarterback Tua Tagovailoa hadn’t suffered a concussion. Conversely, different followers would possibly suppose they might be 1-5 if a few performs had gone in a different way in wins over the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Payments.
Miami has been decimated by accidents within the three-game shedding streak. Quarterbacks. Cornerbacks. Offensive tackles.
The hope is most of these issues are behind the Dolphins. Tagovailoa is in line to return after he cleared concussion protocol Saturday, following the scary Sept. 29 head harm that had him taken off the sector in a stretcher.
Backup quarterbacks Teddy Bridgewater and Skylar Thompson, who additionally couldn’t end their respective begins the previous two weeks, needed to play behind an offensive line bookended by backup tackles: Greg Little and Brandon Shell.
McDaniel mentioned starters Terron Armstead and Austin Jackson had been near returning towards the Vikings. Perhaps they’ll be prepared towards the Steelers.
Though the Dolphins obtained All-Professional cornerback Xavien Howard again into the lineup towards Minnesota, Nik Needham went down with a torn Achilles on Sunday, his season now over. The Dolphins nonetheless have fellow cornerback Byron Jones on the physically-unable-to-perform checklist for decrease left leg surgical procedure within the offseason, upstart undrafted rookie Kader Kohou missed Sunday’s recreation with an indirect harm and Keion Crossen exited the sport with a knee ailment. Third-year cornerback Noah Igbinoghene was counted on towards the Vikings, and particular teamer Justin Bethel was requested to play protection for the primary time this season.
The Dolphins went 3-3 towards the NFL’s most difficult schedule thus far, particularly with the previous two opponents, the Jets and Vikings, surprisingly 4-2 and 5-1, respectively.
That takes a pointy flip with the upcoming slate: vs. Steelers (2-4), at Lions (1-4), at Bears (2-4) vs. Browns (2-4) and, after the bye week, vs. Texans (1-3-1).
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