As bad as a 38-6 loss to the Baltimore Ravens was for the Dolphins, putting their finger on what went wrong was even worse Monday.
Or, to be more exact, putting their thumb on the problem.
That’s because linebacker Kiko Alonso — by far the team’s leading tackler — underwent surgery Monday on a broken thumb suffered early in the Ravens game. Coach Adam Gase said “there is a chance” Alonso can play Sunday when the Arizona Cardinals visit.
Even if Alonso wins a seemingly difficult race against the clock for the Cardinals game, the question is how effective he would be, presumably playing with a cast on his right thumb while trying to tackle David Johnson, the NFL’s third-leading rusher with 1,005 yards.