Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel gave an optimistic injury update for the team headed into Thursday night that suggests the team may be in good shape.

Several key players of the Miami Dolphins faced injury recently and were reportedly out of practice on Monday, but head coach Mike McDaniel made a statement that suggests everyone is in good shape now.

According to a Tweet from Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network, “Mike McDaniel said he anticipates most, if not all, of Dolphins players who were listed as did not practice on Monday to play on Thursday. That’s a group that includes Tua Tagovailoa, Jaylen Waddle, Xavien Howard, Terron Armstead and Melvin Ingram.”

The Dolphins are 3-0 after a 21-19 win against the Buffalo Bills in Week 3, and if they want to continue their winning streak, they need their best players in full health.

Without so many key players, the team could look much different.

Dolphins could be in trouble if their core isn’t back for Thursday’s game

Miami without Tagovailoa and Waddle, in particular, poses a huge risk. The Dolphins have other impactful starters, mainly Tyreek Hill.

They’re undeniably a good team. They’re one of two, alongside the Philadelphia Eagles, to be undefeated so far this season. However, they do have some weaknesses in the roster that are bound to show when their best players are down.

The biggest concern appears to be their choices of wide receivers. The only starter left without questionable status is Hill, so if Waddle or Cedrick Wilson Jr. aren’t ready to play by Thursday, Miami could have a tough time offensively.

Luckily, Tagovailoa has a decent backup. He’s one of the biggest key players, so his absence could make or break the team. Teddy Bridgewater is the second-string quarterback, and he hasn’t played much yet this season, but his previous stats prove he’s a good quarterback.

The roster, overall, could use more development for situations like this.

Former Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin went berserk after Dallas’ win over the New York Giants, putting them at 2-1 so far.

Dallas Cowboys legend Michael Irvin had quite the reaction after Dallas’ win over the New York Giants.

Irvin, who appeared as a guest on ESPN’s First Take, had an over-the-top comical reaction, giving a “chef’s kiss” and calling the win “finger-lickin’ good.”

He also went on to say that he was “hurting” by saying the Philadelphia Eagles have a chance, but now the Cowboys may have a chance. The Eagles are undoubtedly doing well, but it’s still early in the season. It’s hard to tell which teams will be able to carry their momentum over the entire season and which ones haven’t reached their potential yet.

Dallas, however, may actually have a chance when looking at their track record so far.

Michael Irvin has comical reaction to Cowboys win over Giants as Dallas has a real chance

It’s hard to tell which teams will be impactful and which ones are just having fluke luck. As with anything good, there’s always room to improve. Every team is bound to have holes in the roster and areas that could be better, but it’s a matter of who plays the best together.

The Cowboys are in a decent spot. They took a rough 19-3 loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 1, but they bounced back, notably in Week 2, with a 20-17 win over the Cincinnati Bengals.

The Bengals aren’t appearing to be as good this season as they were last season with a 1-2 record, tying with the Pittsburgh Steelers for worst in the division. However, they’re still coming off a Super Bowl season with some of their key players, so they probably still have good potential.

Dallas is relying on some new starters, particularly their starting quarterback, Cooper Rush. Rush has never been a starter in his career but he’s played well when he has stepped in. Overall this season, he’s had a completion percentage of 62.7, 514 passing yards and two passing touchdowns. He seems fairly reliable so far.

Dak Prescott is out, so Rush is stepping up in a position he typically wouldn’t and he’s not disappointing at all.

They do have some good returning starters too, most notably Ezekiel Elliott and CeeDee Lamb. There is potential on the team, and though it’s too early to tell how well their season will play out, they do seem to be headed in the right direction with some solid starters.

Dallas Cowboys star quarterback Dak Prescott has been out since Week 1 this season after suffering a thumb injury, and his timeline has been unclear.

Dallas Cowboys star quarterback Dak Prescott has been out since Week 1 with a thumb injury, and his return timeline has been unclear. He’s not on the injured reserve, so he can come back any time he feels ready, but he just got his stitches removed on Monday and he’s hinted that a Week 5 return is more likely than Week 4, a possibility that team owner Jerry Jones had mentioned.

According to Lorenzo Reyes of USA Today, when Prescott was asked if he was going to play in Week 4 against the Washington Commanders, he responded with, “Nah, probably not. But Week 5 against the Rams? That’s the one I’m looking at.”

Prescott’s been an incredible quarterback in Dallas since 2016, so many people are eagerly awaiting his return. However, they’re doing just fine in the quarterback department without him.

There’s no rush to bring Cowboys star QB Dak Prescott back

Having Prescott back would certainly be good, but Dallas isn’t struggling in that position with their new starter. There’s the idea that his replacement starter, Cooper Rush, is doing so well that he could move into that starting role permanently.

Rush has been with the Cowboys his entire career, which began in 2017. However, he’s only filled in and hasn’t had the chance to test the waters as a starter until this season. He’s only played 10 total games, but he’s having a massive impact.

This season alone, he has a completion percentage of 62.7, 514 passing yards and two passing touchdowns.

Cowboys general manager Jerry Jones compared Rush to Prescott in terms of taking over as a starter. Prescott took over for Tony Romo when he was injured, and Jones said Rush might be on the same path.

In a Tweet from Jon Machota of The Athletic, Jones stated, “If (Rush) comes in there and plays as well as Prescott played … over these next games ahead, I’d walk to New York to get that. … Of course we want Dak to be here next week. That’s the thing, you do. But Dak and I want Rush to lead the team to a victory here and get another win. Looking back, when Dak was playing instead of Tony, it was game by game.”

He certainly has potential, and it’s good for the Cowboys to know they have another reliable option for a quarterback. Regardless of what happens in the future, Prescott’s return will be a huge moment to celebrate.