Dolphins to face Redskins without Xavien Howard, Jakeem Grant

The Miami Dolphins will be without their top defensive player on Sunday as they face the Washington Redskins, with cornerback Xavien Howard officially being named inactive for the contest. Howard has been dealing with a knee injury all week which had him limited in practices. He will now miss at least this week’s game.

Along with the Pro Bowl cornerback, Miami also listed wide receiver Jakeem Grant as inactive for the game. Grant provides the Dolphins with versatility on offense and serves as the team’s primary punt and kick returner, so there will be changes on both offense and special teams without Grant’s availability.

The Dolphins will have Albert Wilson, back, however. The wide receiver has been dealing with calf and hip issues since last season, appearing briefly early in the season. He provides the Dolphins with a speed option, especially with Grant unavailable.

Also inactive for Miami are cornerback Johnson Bademosi, running back Myles Gaskin, fullback Chandler Cox, center/guard Chris Reed, and center/guard Keaton Sutherland.

The Redskins’ side of the inactives list includes quarterback Colt McCoy, safety Deshazor Everett, linebacker Josh Harvey Clemons, cornerback Aaron Colvin, guard Wes Martin, tight end Vernon Davis, and wide receiver Cam Sims.

Kickoff from Miami’s Hard Rock Stadium is at 1pm ET.