*Charles Harris – Important – Injury
DE Charles Harris has been ruled out this week due to a calf injury. Harris, Miami’s first-round pick last season, has been a bust so far. He had 19 tackles, five stops for losses and two sacks in 16 games last season. This season, he has 11 tackles, one stop for loss and no sacks in five games, including one start. This will be the third straight game he misses due to injury.
A.J. Derby – Noteworthy – Injury
TE A.J. Derby is likely out this week due to a foot injury. Derby, who was the New England Patriots’ sixth-round pick in 2015, has two catches this season, including one for a touchdown, in three games.
Albert Wilson – Important – Injury
WR Albert Wilson has been ruled out for Thursday’s game against Houston because of a hip injury.
Bobby McCain – Noteworthy – Injury
CB Bobby McCain (knee) returned to action last week after missing two games due to a knee injury. McCain has 24 starts and four interceptions in his four-year Dolphins career. This season, he has five starts and one interception, and he has been Miami’s second-best cornerback behind Xavien Howard.
Cameron Wake – Important – Injury
DE Cam Wake (knee) returned to action last week after missing two games due to a knee injury. Wake, 36, is off to a slow start this season with just one sack and one tackle for loss. Last season, he had 12 tackles for losses and 10.5 sacks.
Danny Amendola – Important – Injury
WR Danny Amendola was limited in practice this week due to a shoulder injury, but he is expected to play against Houston. Amendola, who turns 33 next week, has yet to miss a game this season. The Dolphins have managed his workload during the practice week, giving him certain days off to keep him — as an older player — fresh. The plan appears to be working as Amendola had his best game of the season last week with six catches for 84 yards and one outstanding TD grab. It was his first touchdown as a member of the Dolphins.
DeVante Parker – Noteworthy
WR DeVante Parker should get a major opportunity against Houston. With starters Albert Wilson and Kenny Stills out due to injuries, this should be Parker’s third game of the season. This past Sunday, Parker — Miami’s first-round pick in 2015 — was a healthy scratch. Parker’s agent blasted Dolphins head coach Adam Gase for the decision. However, Parker distanced himself from those comments. Gase appears ready to give Parker playing time. This could be make-or-break time for Parker.
Kenny Stills – Important – Injury
WR Kenny Stills has been ruled out for Thursday’s game against Houston because of a groin injury.
Mike Gesicki – Important – Injury
TE Mike Gesicki was limited in practice this week due to a shoulder injury. He has played all seven games for Miami this season, including two starts, and has been targeted 17 times, coming up with 12 catches for 132 yards, an 11.0 average and no scores. A second-round pick this year out of Penn State, Gesicki was expected to be a major factor for Miami, especially in the red zone, where he can use his 6-6 height and his ample athletic ability. So far, that has not materialized.
T.J. McDonald – Important – Injury
S T.J. McDonald was limited in practice this week due to ankle and knee issues. He has started all seven Dolphins games this season and has 37 tackles and two interceptions.
Brock Osweiler – Noteworthy
QB Brock Osweiler will start for the Dolphins against his former Texans team after ruling starter Ryan Tannehill out for the game.
Texans coach Bill O’Brien has liked what he has seen from his former quarterback the past two games for the Dolphins.
“Playing really well right now,” O’Brien said of Osweiler. “I think he’s thrown for 600-plus yards in the last two games. He has a great history with (Dolphins coach) Adam Gase. They’re doing a great job with him. Brock’s a very talented player and he’s a having a really good year right now for them. He’s doing a real good job.”
With both O’Brien spending time with Osweiler in the quarterback room, there is an inside look the Texans have on Osweiler knowing his strengths and weaknesses. O’Brien downplayed the idea that knowing Osweiler as a quarterback changes anything for the upcoming game.
“I think it’s a different system, different players around him, so I don’t think that’s important,” O’Brien said of knowing Osweiler. “He’s got a lot of different types of players than what we had, just different skill sets than what we had here, different personnel groupings. So I don’t think that means anything.”
Gase knows Osweiler was a good fit with their offense because it was the system he arrived to as a draft pick out of Arizona State with the Denver Broncos. That knowledge of Gase’s system has helped the Dolphins the past two weeks as he passed for 629 yards with six touchdowns and only two interceptions.
Gase is not worried about the history of Osweiler with the Texans and only cares about the quarterback doing his job for the Dolphins this week.