There’s regrouping going on for the Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers for entirely different reasons.
The teams meet Sunday afternoon in Charlotte as they seek a better start to the second month of the season.
The Dolphins (1-3) are fresh off a victory, but looking to retool a bit after losing star receiver Tyreek Hill.
The Panthers (1-3) had their worst performance of the season in absorbing a thumping at New England just a week after what was by far their best outing, so figuring out which way it will turn with the Dolphins showing up is difficult to determine.
“Urgency, the time is now,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said. ” … We trust these guys to execute.”
It’s a matchup of former Alabama quarterbacks with Tua Tagovailoa of the Dolphins and Bryce Young of the Panthers.
Even though the Dolphins are coming off a 27-21 victory against the New York Jets on Monday night, they’re reeling a bit from the season-ending knee injury suffered by Hill.
It figures that Jaylen Waddle might become a primary target for Tagovailoa.
“We’ve looked at him as a ‘wide receiver 1,’ ” coach Mike McDaniel said of Waddle. “It’s not necessarily a change from the way we approach it and the way we see it. He has done a fantastic job being an elite receiver, playing with another elite receiver. He’s very much ready for this moment.”
Tagovailoa said there’s a strong bond already with Waddle. They were former teammates for two seasons at Alabama.
“I trust that he’s going to be where he needs to be,” Tagovailoa said.
The Dolphins also added receiver Cedrick Wilson Jr., plucking him from the New Orleans practice squad, but he won’t be available this week.
This also could mean a larger role for tight end Darren Waller, who made his Dolphins debut against the Jets after coming out of retirement. He made three receptions, two of which were touchdowns.
For the Panthers, Canales said there will be continued emphasis on being more aggressive offensively. He said the quest for more downfield throws will continue.
“We haven’t come up with big plays, whether it was a missed throw, a dropped pass,” Canales said. ” … I think that those opportunities will still come up.”
The Panthers, who’ve won their lone home game this season, could have another ball catcher this week with rookie receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. expected to make his debut.
“He’s got a great opportunity,” Canales said. “We’re excited about it, want to make sure that he’s able to go out there and give us significant reps, and we’ll carve out a role because there’s certainly things that he can bring to our offense.”
The Panthers are hoping receiver Xavier Legette will also be back after a two-week absence. He was a full participant in Wednesday’s practice.
Carolina’s roster has been fluid, with injuries to right guard Chandler Zavala and receiver David Moore resulting in them going on the injured reserve. Brady Christensen is expected to move to right guard.
It could become more dire for the Panthers after running back Chuba Hubbard, who has a calf ailment, didn’t participate in Wednesday’s practice. Both of Hubbard’s touchdowns this year have come on catches.
Panthers offensive tackle Taylor Moten, tight end JT Sanders, cornerback Chau Smith-Wade and defensive tackle Turk Wharton also did not practice Wednesday while linebacker D.J. Wonnum was limited.
For Miami, Wilson and cornerback Storm Duck were out Wednesday while Waller and cornerback Ethan Bonner were limited.
This will be the Dolphins’ first visit to Charlotte since 2017. Miami is 6-2 all-time vs. Carolina.