Miami Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins finished Sunday's 33-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs without a pair of key players, as both receiver DeVante Parker (leg) and tight end Mike Gesicki (shoulder) exited with injuries.

Dolphins head coach Brian Flores did not have an update on either player's status after the game, noting both—along with safety Bobby McCain—will undergo further testing.

"It's too early right now. They're still being evaluated," Flores said. "I'll probably have more information later in the week."

Gesicki was in the midst of a big day prior to the injury, hauling in five passes for 65 yards and two touchdowns. Parker, meanwhile, was targeted twice but had zero receptions.

Parker has been among the Dolphins' top playmakers since being drafted 14th overall in 2015. After notching his first 1,000-yard season in 2019, he has followed that up with another solid performance in 2020. The 27-year-old has 56 catches for 677 yards and four touchdowns on the season.

Sunday marked the first time all season he did not record a single reception in a game. He leads the team in receiving yards.

A second-round pick in the 2018 draft, Gesicki had a limited role in the Dolphins' passing game as a rookie. The Penn State product caught 22 passes for 202 yards on 32 targets. His numbers improved in 2019 (51 receptions, 570 yards, five touchdowns) but still arguably fell short for somebody drafted so high.

This year, a big Week 2 showing against the Buffalo Bills (eight receptions, 130 yards, one touchdown) hinted that things might be different in 2020. For the most part, that game was an outlier.

The Dolphins spared no expense in an attempt to avoid a fourth straight losing season. They did little to address the passing game, however, beyond using the No. 5 overall pick on Tua Tagovailoa. Matt Breida and Jordan Howard were their biggest veteran additions at the skill positions.

That leaves Durham Smythe as Gesicki's replacement at tight end. Smythe made 31 appearances over his first two years but logged only 13 receptions on 25 targets.

Perhaps this is the opportunity the former Notre Dame pass-catcher needed to show he can handle a larger role in the offense. He entered with 14 catches for 120 yards and two touchdowns this season. 

The Miami Dolphins announced Saturday that they placed running back Myles Gaskin on the reserve/COVID-19 list, meaning he will not play Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Gaskin has been the Dolphins' lead back when healthy this season, but he missed four games because of a sprained MCL.

He returned in last week's win over the Cincinnati Bengals and performed well, but Gaskin is already back on the shelf.

Gaskin saw action for the Dolphins last season as a rookie, but he was widely expected to enter the 2020 campaign as little more than a backup to veterans Jordan Howard and Matt Breida.

It quickly became apparent, however, that Gaskin was head coach Brian Flores' preferred backfield option, which led to Howard's release.

In eight games this season, including six starts, Gaskin has rushed for 477 yards and two touchdowns on 121 carries. He has also been a factor in the passing game with 32 receptions for 249 yards.

Despite his missed time, Gaskin is the Dolphins' leading rusher by far, and he is third on the team in receptions.

With the former University of Washington star out, much of the offensive burden figures to fall on the shoulders of rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa.

Breida is also on the reserve/COVID-19 list, and Salvon Ahmed is out Sunday with a shoulder injury, meaning the backfield will belong to DeAndre Washington and Patrick Laird.

Washington appeared in one game for the Chiefs this season before getting traded to the Dolphins on Nov. 3. He has just 56 rushing yards on the year, but he played a big role in Miami's Week 12 win over the New York Jets with 49 yards on 13 carries and two catches for 11 yards.

Laird signed as an undrafted free agent last season, and he carved out a role with 372 yards from scrimmage.

In 12 games this season, Laird has just 33 rushing yards on seven carries and seven receptions for 52 yards.

If the 8-4 Dolphins are going to beat the 11-1 Chiefs and keep pace with the 9-3 Buffalo Bills in the AFC East, they'll need at least some production from Washington and Laird on Sunday.

Like many others, Miami Dolphins quarterback Xavien Howard disagreed with the call that got him tossed from Sunday's 19-7 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.  

Howard and Bengals wide receiver Tyler Boyd got in a shoving match on the sideline at the end of the second quarter, resulting in both players being ejected.

"I didn't throw a punch, so I thought it was a BS call," Howard said, per Joe Schad of the Palm Beach Post. 

"But I put my team in a bad situation," Howard, who leads the league in interceptions after posting his eighth of the season before his ejection, said. "That can't happen down the stretch because these games are important games for us, and my team needs me out there."

The second-quarter scuffle wasn't the only action on the sidelines of Sunday's game. Miami receivers DeVante Parker and Mack Hollins and Bengals safety Shawn Williams were thrown out with under 12 minutes left to play after they exchanged punches in a benches-clearing brawl that forced Dolphins players to hold back head coach Brian Flores, per Charean Williams of Pro Football Talk. 

Tensions ran high late in the game as Cincinnati receiver Mike Thomas was whistled for a pair of hits on punt returner Jakeem Grant, who Flores said Monday was "banged up."

Williams was suspended for one game for stepping on an opponent, the second player to receive the punishment from a game on Sunday. Tennessee Titans defensive end Teair Tart received the same penalty. 

You might think Tua Tagovailoa, a strong defense and head coach Brian Flores are all reasons the Miami Dolphins are 8-4 and winners of seven of their last eight games.

You would be wrong.

Defensive end Christian Wilkins revealed he does not wash his Power Rangers boxers following Dolphins victories, which has clearly brought the team all the luck it needs this season.

It's science after all:

Wilkins and the defense channeled their inner Power Rangers during Sunday's 19-7 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals and forced two turnovers while allowing a single touchdown. It was more of the same for a defense that entered play second in the league in points allowed per game. 

Miami is now 8-4, a half-game behind the Buffalo Bills in the AFC East and well-positioned to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 season.

Go, go, Power Rangers indeed.

Miami Dolphins wide receivers DeVante Parker and Mack Hollins and Cincinnati Bengals safety Shawn Williams were all ejected after a major scuffle broke about between the teams during Sunday's matchup. 

That followed Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard and Bengals wideout Tyler Boyd being ejected earlier in the game after throwing punches.

The scuffle broke out after Jakeem Grant was blindsided as he attempted to field a punt, well before the ball reached him. Even Dolphins head coach Brian Flores took to the field, clearly upset with the hit:

Suffice to say, things got chippy between the Dolphins and Bengals on Sunday. The Dolphins led the game 19-7 late in the fourth quarter, going on to win and move to 8-4 on the season to keep them firmly in the playoff race. 

While fighting is never to be condoned, Miami's coaching staff will likely be pleased to see the players sticking up for one another. The lack of such a response became a storyline in Dallas earlier in the year when Mike McCarthy didn't love his team's muted response to quarterback Andy Dalton getting knocked out of a game after a dirty hit by Washington's Jon Bostic. 

"We speak all of the time about playing for one another, protecting one another," he told reporters at the time. "It definitely was not the response you would expect."

Parker and the Dolphins took sticking up for one another too far Sunday, as evidenced by the ejections and potential fines they'll receive. But for a Dolphins team trying to return to the postseason for the first time since 2016, that level of passion and camaraderie is a good sign. 

The Miami Dolphins are expecting to have Tua Tagovailoa available for Sunday's game against the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Per ESPN's Cameron Wolfe, the Dolphins' decision not to activate Reid Sinnett from the practice squad on Saturday indicates that Tagovailoa will be in uniform after missing one game with a thumb injury. 

Tagovailoa suffered the injury during Miami's practice on Nov. 25 when his hand hit a teammate's helmet. He wound up sitting out last week's 20-3 win over the New York Jets. 

The Dolphins have officially listed Tagovailoa as questionable for Sunday after he was a limited participant in practice this week.

Head coach Brian Flores told reporters on Thursday they "will make a decision" on Sunday as to whether Tagovailoa or Ryan Fitzpatrick will start against the Bengals. 

Fitzpatrick began this season as Miami's quarterback for the first six games, leading the team to a 3-3 record. He replaced Tagovailoa in the fourth quarter of the Dolphins' 20-13 loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 11 and started last week against the Jets.

Tagovailoa has gone 3-1 in four starts during his rookie season. The 22-year-old has thrown for 602 yards, six touchdowns and zero interceptions in five appearances.

The Dolphins enter Week 13 as the No. 6 seed in the AFC playoffs with a 7-4 record. They trail the Buffalo Bills by one game in the AFC East race.