Xavien Howard On His Status: "I'm a Tough Guy"
There are certain matchups elite players have circled when the schedule comes out.
And sometimes it’s players they'll face, not the opponent that piques their interest.
The quickest way to build a reputation people respect in the NFL is to go against the best, and it’s also the way to maintain one.
That’s why Sunday night’s nationally televised game against the Philadelphia Eagles isn’t a contest Miami Dolphins cornerback Xavien Howard plans to miss, no matter what his groin injury feels like.
“I’m a tough guy. We got to push through some stuff,” Howard said Friday, shortly before the team listed him as questionable for Sunday’s game because of a groin issue that flared up last Sunday in Miami’s 31-16 win over the New York Giants.
Howard, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, participated on a limited basis for two of the three practice sessions this week, and said he’s taken residence in the training room with the hopes of getting past the strain, preventing it from becoming an issue like the groin strains that lingered last year.
“I’m ready to go,” Howard said. “We’re playing Sunday night [in a nationally televised game] against a good team coming off a loss. I know [the Eagles] are going to come with it.”
And Howard intends to do the same.
The eight-year veteran missed his chance to defend Stefon Diggs when the Dolphins wouldn’t allow him to shadow the Buffalo Bills receiver, who the Bills made sure only lined up against Howard once on the left side of the field during a game where Diggs scored three touchdowns.
Shadowing on the menu?
This week shadowing likely isn’t in play because Philadelphia possesses the best receiver duo the Dolphins will face this season in A.J. Brown, and DeVonta Smith, who have accounted for 70 receptions, which they have turned into 1,005 yards and four touchdowns in six games.
“I’m ready for the challenge. I know they’re going to come out there swinging,” Howard said. “I’ll be ready for it.”
Howard and Brown, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, have only done battle once, and that was in 2022 when the Ryan Tannehill-led Tennessee Titans pulled off a 34-3 win that eliminated a 9-8 Dolphins team from reaching the postseason.
On that rain-soaked day, the Titans pummeled the Dolphins on the ground, which explains why Brown only caught two of five passes thrown his way, turning them into 41 yards.
This will be Smith’s first game against Miami, and the former Heisman Trophy winner vows to play despite nursing a troublesome hamstring — he did not get a game status designation on the final injury report.
Keys to playing Eagles
“They are totally different,” Howard said, explaining the Eagles' top two receivers. “Brown wants you to play that aggressive game with him. Smith is a finesse guy. But they both make plays and do their thing.”
With Brown, who is averaging 10 targets a game, Howard has had to remind his teammates that they can’t be lured into a physical matchup against Brown, who Miami practiced against last year when the Eagles and the Dolphins had one joint practice session leading up to a preseason game.
“If that’s not your game, don’t do it,” said Howard, who has a 76.5 opponent passer rating when targeted this season.
That passer rating is the best in Miami's secondary, which has the NFL's sixth-worst passer rating (98.9) for opposing quarterbacks this season.
“We've got to get pressure on [quarterback Jalen Hurts]," he continued. "They’re going to try to establish the run to open up the passing game.”
