Miami Dolphins cornerback Kader Kohou (28) safety Jevon Holland (8) and linebacker Elandon Roberts (52) brings down Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Devin Duvernay (13) during fourth quarter of an NFL football game at M&T Bank Stadium on Sunday, September 18, 2022 in Baltimore, MD. DAVID SANTIAGO [email protected]
The Miami Dolphins secondary could be back at full strength come Monday. Both safety Jevón Holland and nickel cornerback Kader Kohou have logged back-to-back limited practices, putting them in a position to potentially suit up for the Dolphins’ primetime game against the Los Angeles Rams.
“Right now, I’d say it’s TBD,” Holland said Friday of his availability. “Still working through the week and then we got a good amount of time before the game so I’m trying to be a game time decision.” Holland has been rather banged up as of late. Towards the end of the Dolphins’ Week 5 victory over the New England Patriots, the safety fractured his left hand which caused him to miss one game.
He returned for the Dolphins’ Week 8 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals only to suffer an undisclosed left knee injury in the second quarter that cost not only the rest of the game but also Miami’s subsequent second clash with the Buffalo Bills. “It’s not really frustrating; it’s more enlightening,” Holland said of his recent bout with injuries. “I’ve had a career where I don’t really deal with injuries and then as of late, I’ve been going through little small bumps and bruises here so it’s taught me to just trust in myself, trust the work I put in rehab and it’s not happening to me. It’s happening for me.” Luckily, the knee injury differs from the two MCL sprains that Holland suffered during the 2023 season.
“No, no, no, no, no – not even close ,” Holland said in response to how his recent knee injury compares to last year’s ailment Conversely, Kohou injured his neck during the Dolphins’ Week 7 loss to the Indianapolis Colts that forced him to miss the last two games. “Annoying,” Kohou said Friday of his brief hiatus. “It’s our job, our livelihood. We’ve been doing this since we were kids. I feel like anybody in the locker room, when you have to miss time, it’s not really fun. It’s really nothing you can do. You just sitting around, watching guys go to practice, go to games and you just wish you were out there with your teammates.” When asked if he’s back to full strength, Kohou replied “Yep” and nodded his head. Kohou’s absence forced All-Pro cornerback Jalen Ramsey to play the nickel role.
While the future hall of famer is more than capable of doing so, the Dolphins defense works best when they can use Kohou and Ramsey interchangeably to guard the slot. “Moving us around gives us opportunities to make more plays,” Kohou said. Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver “has honed in on that so I’m happy.” The Dolphins defense has certainly missed Kohou and Holland’s presence.
Through six games, Holland has logged two pass deflections, a forced fumble and 26 combined tackles while Kader has racked up one interception, four pass deflections, a fumble recovery and 17 combined tackles, two of which were for a loss. Opposing quarterbacks have certainly taken notice of their absence and have feasted on Miami’s secondary.
Kyler Murray and Josh Allen combined for more than 500 yards passing, five touchdowns and just one interception over the last two weeks. And with the Dolphins in line for a Monday night showdown against the high-powered Sean McVay offense that features two Pro Bowl receivers in Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, the secondary needs to be as healthy as possible. “They’ve got a bunch of weapons,” Holland said of the Rams. “From the receiving core to their running back to the quarterback who’s been in the league for a very long time to their head coach, who’s an offensive mind, they