The Miami Dolphins will be without one of their three major running backs on Monday night as they take on the New England Patriots. Rookie running back Daniel Thomas was expected to play a significant role in the Dolphins rushing attack, but will not be in the lineup after reportedly being declared inactive.
Thomas came down with a hamstring injury at the worst possible moment for the Dolphins, straining the muscle in practice on Wednesday. Miami appears to be exercising an abundance of caution with Thomas by declaring him inactive, perhaps in an effort to prevent the injury from recurring. As we've seen before, hamstring injuries are prone to becoming nagging problems throughout the season, especially if a player is rushed back to action.
The rest of the inactive list has not yet been released, but Miami does take a significant hit without Thomas in the lineup. In his place, Larry Johnson and Reggie Bush will likely see an increase in carries as they try to alleviate some of the pressure on Chad Henne.
Be sure to check out Pats Pulpit, our Patriots blog, and The Phinsider, our Dolphins blog, for more on the game.