Dolphins to face 49ers without Chop Robinson after concussion

Miami Dolphins head coach Jeff Hafley has confirmed that edge rusher Chop Robinson will miss Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers after sustaining a concussion in practice.

Speaking to reporters this week, as reported by Yahoo Sports, Hafley addressed the issue directly. "Chop did sustain a concussion during practice; he is in the protocol. He will not play this week," he said, adding that Robinson "is doing well".

The loss comes at an awkward moment for Miami, who are looking to respond after a difficult Week 1 defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders. Asked how the Dolphins plan to cover Robinson's absence, Hafley pointed to depth at the position. "It's all of the above and we might do some other things to help out," he said of options including Malik Herring and Clelin Ferrell, adding that despite not all having been with the team the full offseason, "they've done a nice job in practice this week and it'll be the next man up."

Defensive coordinator Sean Duggan struck a similar note, saying preparation has to extend beyond the starting group. "I think your job as a coach is to prepare everybody, right? I mean, you never know what could happen, it's an unpredictable game," Duggan said.

Other injuries and special teams decisions

Robinson is not the only name on Miami's injury list. Long snapper Tucker Addington's status remains uncertain, with Hafley saying the club would monitor him closely. "We have 48 hours to the game, so hopefully he'll feel good enough to snap for us on Sunday," he said. Tight end Syedou Traore was expected to practise and, barring setbacks, to be available against San Francisco, according to Hafley.

Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor also faces a decision after the loss of Kyle Louis as the primary gunner on punt coverage. Tabor said the staff are still working through the replacement, describing it as a next-man-up situation while they assess who can produce in the role.

Lessons from the Raiders defeat

Much of the week's discussion centred on correcting problems from the opening-round loss to the Raiders. Duggan said the pass rush had been tentative early against Las Vegas before improving as the game progressed, and wants a more assertive approach against San Francisco. "What I really want to see is guys go play confident, cut it loose a little bit, but within the realm of our defense and within having great fundamentals," he said, adding that the group's ability to affect the quarterback went beyond the raw sack count.

Defensive tackle Zach Sieler pointed to a second-half turnaround in run defence against the Raiders as evidence the unit can make in-game adjustments. "We just kind of settled down, made the right adjustments, started seeing the game as one," Sieler said.

On offence, coordinator Bobby Slowik reviewed a performance from quarterback Malik Willis that included five sacks conceded. Slowik said the team largely delivered the competitive style of play it wanted but must clean up execution. "We need to clean up the football a lot," he said, citing a roster still adjusting to a new scheme.

Asked specifically about the sacks, Slowik said responsibility was spread across multiple factors rather than any single cause. "It's typically a combination of maybe a poor play call on my part, poor protection up front, or the ball should have been gone and it's not, or someone messed up on a route," he said, adding that all five instances involved more than one breakdown.

Miami will look to address those issues without Robinson available as they host the 49ers in Week 2, aiming for their first win of the season after the Week 1 setback against Las Vegas.