Miami coach Gase mum on LB Timmons' situation

Sep 21, 2017 - 12:14 AM DAVIE, Fla. -- Miami coach Adam Gase didn't reveal much about linebacker Lawrence Timmons on Wednesday, who was suspended indefinitely a day earlier after going AWOL Saturday.

But he did say Timmons might be eligible to re-join the team at some point.

"It's going to be something that I'm going to keep in-house and I'll decide on that later," Gase said.

Timmons' disappearance still tops the news of the week for the Dolphins (1-0), even overshadowing Sunday's game at the New York Jets (0-2).

Gase was asked whether players who violate the culture he's established could be forgiven for their transgression.

"I think every situation's different, and I would say that you can be forgiven if the right steps are taken," Gase said.

On almost every question about Timmons, who was inactive for last week's game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Gase was tight-lipped, including why Timmons left the team.

"Everything dealing with that, we're just going to keep in-house," he said. "We've handled it the way we feel like we need to handle it. And really, I don't have anything to add to that."

Asked whether team had all the information on Timmons' disappearance, Gase had few words.

"We'll keep everything in-house," he said. "I'm not going to get into all this."

It still remains a mystery why Timmons left, and where he was going.

In the meantime, Miami is left to try to figure out a way to go to New York and come away with a victory.

The Jets, projected to be one of the worst teams in the league, don't seem to pose much of a threat.

"They've got some new faces," Gase said. "Really, that's going to be the No. 1 thing we've got to sort through is some of the guys that we haven't really played before."

The Dolphins, who could be without Timmons and middle linebacker Rey Maualuga, also must sort through another game starting the trio of middle linebacker Mike Hull, strongside linebacker Chase Allen and weakside linebacker Kiko Alonso.

Gase seems confident yet respectful.

"When we play these guys, it's a physical game," Gase said. "It's a division game. It's one of those games, this is a tough game. This is one of those ones where you throw everything out of the window because it's going to be slug fest."

SERIES HISTORY: 103rd regular-season meeting. Jets lead series, 53-48-1. Miami swept the series last season. QB Matt Moore threw four touchdown passes in the Dolphins' 34-13 victory in December, which clinched Miami's first winning season since 2008.

--Newly-acquired linebacker Stephone Anthony, acquired in a trade Tuesday with New Orleans for a 2018 fifth-round pick, might not be ready to play Sunday against the New York Jets. Anthony, the 2015 first-round pick by the Saints out of Clemson, was inactive for the first two games with a high ankle sprain.

Anthony said he's healthy but said the final decision on whether he plays rests with coach Adam Gase.

Anthony had 112 tackles as a rookie middle linebacker but has fallen off the map ever since. Last season he was moved to strongside linebacker and played in 10 games, starting three, and recording 16 tackles. This year he was moved to weakside linebacker.

Last season Saints coach Sean Payton expressed frustration that Anthony wasn't able to analyze plays quickly. Gase said he couldn't comment on that aspect of Anthony's game.

"It's hard because for me, personally (because) I haven't had a chance to meet him yet," Gase said. "We'll just kind go through our process and determine what we feel he fits for us and the right way for us to coach him and teach him and kind of make our own assessment of how we want to use him. It's hard for me to say anything right now when I really don't know, because I haven't been around him."

--Quarterback Jay Cutler seems to like playing with wide receivers DeVante Parker, Jarvis Landry and Kenny Stills, saying he's already "really comfortable" with that crew.

"I think it goes back to a lot of it has to do with the personnel," Cutler said. "You get those guys around you, the offensive line played well. They make it go. I just kind of feed them the ball and watch them work. It's fun being behind center with those guys."

--Although the New York Jets are projected to be among the NFL's worst teams, the Dolphins are trying not to take a victory for granted this week.

"If we don't play good football, we can go up there and lose a game really quickly," quarterback Jay Cutler said. "We don't want to look past them, don't want to look in the rearview mirror. We're just going to concentrate on them and try to put together a good game and get a 'W.' "

Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh echoed that sentiment.

"Every team is respectable," Suh said. "Every team you have to give ultimate respect (to). They have great players; great talent. We've obviously seen great players. I've played against (running back) Matt Forte many times so I know what he can do. I've played against (quarterback) Josh McCown, as well. So I respect them and understand that we have an opportunity to win, but it's no given win by any means."

NOTES: LB Lawrence Timmons, who has been suspended indefinitely, won't practice or play this week, according to coach Adam Gase. But Gase said there's a chance Timmons could eventually return to the team this season. ... RB Jay Ajayi (knee) didn't practice Wednesday. Ajayi had 28 carries for 122 yards in last week's victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. ... WR Jarvis Landry (knee) didn't practice Wednesday. Landry was limited last week with a knee injury but played against the Chargers. ... DT Jordan Phillips (ankle) didn't practice Wednesday. Coach Adam Gase praised Phillips for playing with his ailment last week against the Chargers. "It really was a credit to him," Gase said. "He kept trying to go back in there and take some snaps off those guys but that was one of the reasons that happened. When Jordan went in, he played well. He did a good job. He did his job. It was good to see how he tried to fight through that." ... WR DeVante Parker (hamstring) was limited Wednesday. Parker had hamstring problems last season. ... C Mike Pouncey (hip) was limited Wednesday. Pouncey is having his practice time watched closely in hopes he'll be able to play all 16 games this season. ... RB Damien Williams (rib) was limited Wednesday. Williams played sparingly last week against the Chargers. ... LT Laremy Tunsil struggled last week, allowing two sacks, but coach Adam Gase defended his player Wednesday, especially on a sack by DE Chris McCain who chased QB Jay Cutler halfway across the field. "That sack was on me," Gase said. "That was supposed to be a quick-game type play and nobody was open. He was setting for the ball to come out quick. They're not going to put my name on the stat sheet and say that I gave it up; but that was my fault. He did a good job the whole game. He battled two pretty good guys. The same thing with Ja'Wuan (James). Ja'Wuan did a really good job. Those two guys, going against them snap after snap, is not an easy task." ... DT Ndamukong Suh drew praise from Chargers coach Anthony Lynn after Sunday's game, and he drew praise from coach Adam Gase on Wednesday. "I saw a guy that was not going to be blocked," Gase said. "When they were trying to run the ball, it didn't matter if there was two guys on him or one guy, he was penetrating, creating negative plays (and) causing chaos. Basically the same thing I've seen every week since I've been here." ... QB Jay Cutler downplayed the Jets' interest in him earlier this year. "We were just feeling each other out," he said. "It wasn't aggressive. It wasn't super vague. It was just feeling each other out and it just didn't work out." Cutler said the feeler he got from the Jets in March wasn't too serious. I'd just been cut from Chicago, where I'd spent eight years, so I wasn't in a hurry to really go anywhere," he said. "I just kind of wanted to go through the process and if something really jumped out, I'd investigate a little bit more."